Rising Stars: Meet Katie Holm of Dexter, MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Holm

Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for having me! I’m Katie with Katherine Luisa Photography. I am a family and lifestyle photographer based in Dexter, serving Ann Arbor and the surrounding area. My journey with photography has been one that has always mirrored my personal life and growth. It has been something that has grounded me – from getting my first film camera as a child, to taking photography class in high school, and rediscovering a love for the art into adulthood and eventually turning it into a business. Each pivotal point in my journey I can easily tie to a feeling or memory: I remember holding my first kid-friendly film camera (complete with blue handles on the sides), that I received for Christmas as a child, and taking a photo of my parents sitting on the couch at my tia’s house. I remember the smell of the chemicals when I entered the dark room in my high school class where we would develop our own film.

When I received my first DSLR camera, I was newly married, and trying to find myself in a sea of loneliness that is the life of a military spouse. Photography was my therapy. It was my way to ground myself when there were so many unknowns while waiting for orders for myself and my spouse. After becoming a mother, surviving deployment with a toddler during Covid lockdown, deciding to finally launch my business and do this thing “for real” – it felt like I had really done something. We were stationed in the Pacific Northwest at the time, and the beauty all around me was inspiring and helped breathe some life back into me. Now I’ve moved back home to Michigan, and I love finding new inspiration all around me.

Once I started listening to my own intuition, and letting my creativity flow, business followed. Sure, there are business techniques to learn, but that’s true of any industry. I have found a lot of value in not only following my own gut, and trusting the process, but also building a community of support around me. One of the biggest lessons I have learned, is that there is so much value in networking with other local photographers. Yes, the market can seem saturated. However, forming good relationships with others in my area is so beneficial in that, it helps to fill the loneliness you might feel in an industry you feel alone in.

I’m an introvert, so it’s always been hard to really put myself out there. But I do it because I love what I do. I love creating art and documenting families and newborns, high school seniors, business professionals, elopements, and so much more. These are the important big-life moments that people are going to look back on and remember how they felt that day. That is such a great and inspiring responsibility to hold.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m a military spouse, and my husband has been gone for 2 separate 7-month long deployments overseas. During those times when he has been gone, and I am alone caring for our kids and animals…it’s really hard. It’s hard to make time for myself, let alone for my business. I have always found that trying to balance all the thing in both my personal life and business life, can be difficult to manage. I still feel sometimes like I’m just figuring it out as I go! But, after almost 10 years of experience in the business, that all of my experiences in finding who I am as a creative and as a person have been meaningful and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I have learned something important through every step along the way, and am so glad to have been taught all of those lessons.

Also, as with any other industry, imposter syndrome can be difficult to navigate. Especially as a creative when there is no one “right” way to do things…there are times when I’m questioning myself and my process. I have to follow my intuition and be confident in how I am instructing clients through their photo session with me, trust the creative process while I’m editing their photos, and also be producing and presenting photos that the client is happy with. That expectation and pressure is definitely a big struggle! However, I have worked hard at establishing my brand, learning how to give my clients prompts that align with their personalities and will feel natural to them, and staying consistent with my editing style so that my clients know what to expect from working with me.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a photographer! I’m a visual storyteller of life’s big (and small!) important moments. From lifestyle newborns, to couples and engagements, maternity, families just documenting a fun time together, elopements in the mountains, military homecomings, high school seniors…I’ve kind of done it all! No matter what I’m capturing, I thrive on connection and emotion. My photos evoke that feeling you get only with your loved ones, even if the moment seems ordinary. One of the things I’m most proud of is when my clients tell me that I captured their personalities and relationships perfectly. It truly means so much!

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Communication with my clients is absolutely the most important thing I can do. I try and answer all their questions before they even think to ask. Fortunately, I haven’t had many bad client experiences, but the ones I’ve learned from there have always been communication issues in terms of expectations for the shoot, location, and timeline of events. I may have a vision in my head for how their session will go, and the client may have their own idea. It’s important to be on the same page so that you feel successful and they are happy with their photos. I always hope that my clients see themselves as co-collaborators on this photo project they are doing with me. I go into each session with an attempt of understanding what they want to get out of it, and then bring their story to life while also being true to my style and bring my creative flair to it. This photography journey has been a wild ride, and I’m so happy and proud of what I’ve accomplished on this journey. I really love what I do!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.katherineluisaphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kluisaphotography
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kluisaphotography