I was born and raised on the island of Nantucket, and for as long as I can remember I’ve been immersed in and inspired by the natural beauty of my home. I always had a camera in my hand when I was younger, chasing sunsets at the beach, at the horse farm where we spent most of our days and documenting my adventures with my friends in scrapbooks too numerous to count. I currently live on Nantucket with my husband Evan Schwanfelder, our sweet baby girl Millie and our adorable rescue pup Ziggy.
I spent many years abroad after college and then moved back to this lovely island. Living in such a scenic place and traveling the world to see other amazing sights has helped shape my perspective on photography. There’s incredible scenery everywhere, but it’s the special moments captured in those places that create lasting memories.
In 2009 I enrolled in the New England School of Photography for their two-year professional program and I studied photojournalism, wedding and portrait photography. After graduating I started my business on Nantucket. My photography style is natural and journalistic; my goal is to document the moments and experiences you’ll cherish forever. At your wedding I work within your day, meaning the flow of events is never interrupted and will never feel too directed.
I love wedding and portrait work along with the personal projects that I seek every off season. A few winters ago I spent time documenting an equine therapy center in Florida and pushing myself to exercise lessons gained at The Foundation Workshop in Texas. I’m always working to evolve my craft through workshops, attending conferences and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. I believe that effort translates directly into the quality of the photos I make for you.
I am committed to capturing the human experience from the smallest elopement to the biggest wedding celebration, from every day life to the family vacation celebrating 60 years of marriage for the grandparents. The best part of my job is that each wedding, portrait session or engagement is a new artistic endeavor with a story to be told. I’d love to talk more over the phone or meet you in person! I believe in getting to know my clients and value our client relationships whole heartedly. I’d love to tell you more about what we do and look forward to hearing from you!
Perfect photographer for our intimate wedding celebration
Katie was absolutely wonderful to work with – from our first conversation, she conveyed her intention to get to know us as a couple, to understand our unique needs, and ultimately to capture elements of our wedding that were important to us both.
We had a small celebration planned that became even smaller as a result of COVID-19 and we balanced feelings of joy and anticipation with anxiety and uncertainty as we worked to ensure safety for everyone who would be with us on our wedding day. Katie offered flexibility and reassurance at every step of the way, and I was so appreciative of her guidance and generosity through the whole planning process. She gave us hours and hours of time in advance of the wedding, talking through ever-evolving plans and dreams via phone, email, and text. She was always extremely responsive and thorough in her communications and her genuine enthusiasm is contagious!
Not only is Katie clearly a seasoned professional when it comes to navigating the logistics of wedding planning, she also demonstrated her keen ability to adapt (and help us adapt!) with ease and grace to some extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances. Katie really went above and beyond in so many ways, stepping in to coordinate with various family members and vendors to help us pull the day off smoothly.
And what a day it was! I loved having Katie around throughout the day to touch base with – she gently (and effectively!) helped us stay on schedule and yet I somehow never felt rushed or pulled away from the intimacy of our celebration. When Katie sent a preview of the photos she had taken shortly after the wedding followed by the full gallery, we were blown away! We were incredibly grateful to be able to re-live so many special moments from the day – her photos are absolutely beautiful and we will treasure them for the rest of our lives.
Sent on 01/05/2021
Caroline S.
· Getting married on 07/08/2021
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Above and beyond experience
Since starting to work with Katie for our engagement photos, she has been flexible, and fun to work with. She has been ale to capture our vibe, feelings, and emotions from early on in the engagement photos, through the wedding pictures. The wedding pictures absolutely take my breath away. They are not only stunning, but they captured the emotions that we were feeling that day and weekend. From my first look with dad, to standing on the altar exchanging vows with my now husband, I relive every feeling that I felt that day through what she has been able to capture in the photos.
Sent on 10/21/2019
Alexandra L.
· Married on 12/09/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Incredible photographer, photos & experience!
Katie is an incredible photographer and perfectly captures the moment. 2020 was a tough year to plan a wedding and Katie was flexible and helped us navigate the ever-changing environment. She put my husband, our families and me perfectly at ease. Our photos turned out truly spectacular and captured the day. We will cherish them forever!
