Daily Inspiration: Meet Katie Ziel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Ziel

Hi Katie , we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My photography journey started back in 2012 when I moved to the Thumb from Port Huron. To be honest, it mostly started from not knowing many people in the area and needing a hobby! I sold some items, used the money to buy a cheap camera, and started posting photos (mostly of my dogs!) on Facebook.

It remained just a fun hobby until 2015 when I decided to officially start a business! During this time, I was working full-time for a local business, and co-workers starting inquiring about sessions after seeing my Facebook posts. The business started to grow, but remained very much a “side-hustle” until 2023. All of the money that I made went right back into upgrading equipment and investing in education via online courses. If I’m being 100% honest – I never anticipated going full-time with my business!

In spring of 2023, I felt the Lord put it on my heart that I needed to leave my full-time job to be home with our young daughter. Now, this was very much a “leap-of-faith” decision as I genuinely enjoyed my job and, again, never planned on going full-time with my business! I prayed about it A LOT and knew that this was the Lord’s plan for our family.

Today – over a year and a half later – the growth has been incredible! I am blessed with the BEST clients and have been able to expand the types of photography from Families to Weddings to Businesses, and beyond! It has been an absolute gift to be able to do something that I LOVE, connect with amazing clients, all while having the flexibility to be home with our daughter and (due VERY soon) son!

This, of course, also wouldn’t be possible without the support of my husband, our families, and friends – as we all know it takes a village.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Running a business always has its stressors – but to be honest, I’ve been blessed with the BEST clients! Everyone has always been so, so kind.

My husband is also AMAZING and has supported me 100% along the way

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
There is a lot of variety in what I do – and that is one of my favorite things about Photography! I photograph weddings, newborns, milestone, seniors, families, school photos, headshots, pets, and more! I love how every session is so different, but that I am able to draw from experience to know what each session requires. There’s a lot going on in my brain during each session from posing to camera settings to lighting – all while trying to make the client experience as comfortable as possible (which is my main goal!)

I think what sets me apart is my ability to capture connection. Whether between couples or families – I try to always photograph beyond “look at the camera and smile!”. While those images are also included in my galleries, I am intentional about capturing the candid connections between people. I love letting kids be kids and am always using detailed prompts/ games to encourage connection without looking at the camera! It’s important to me to be the one guiding my clients every step of the way and not just saying “just pretend I’m not here!” and expecting them to look comfortably candid. I’ve had a lot of people tell me over the years that they so appreciate the guidance with posing!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Client experience is the most important thing to me! I genuinely want my clients to LOVE their images and feel comfortable during their session!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: katiezielphotography
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/katiezielphotography