Hip Hop Dancing and Coffee with Kaitie

A looong time ago, I got the sweetest email from a girl named Kaitie. After I got over my initial confusion- I knew a girl named Kaitlyn Bryant (exact same spelling) who went to school in Athens, where this Kaitie lives- I was so excited to read on and hear all about how she was starting her own photography business and how her friend Lindsay (of Lindsay and Michael, whose wedding I shot in September) had told her about me and how she had some questions she would love to ask. [Um, longest sentence ever. My apologies.] This all happened actually while I was in Las Vegas at WPPI back in March, and I just remember being so flattered and humbled that someone I had never met would ask for my advice, when I felt like I was still figuring a lot of things out myself. But at the same time, I just love when photographers band together and figure things out with each other’s help. I hate how many photographers walk around shrouded in secrecy, terrified that some “newb” is going to come along and steal their clients. This is really not the case. I’m a big believer in helping a brother (or a sister) out. The more you give, the more you get. So I gladly exchanged emails with her for awhile, and in the process of explaining why I do things the way I do, I actually learned a lot myself. Funny how that works. :)

Anyway, fast forward to several weeks ago. Kaitie emailed me to say she would be in Alabama soon and wanted to know if I’d be interested in grabbing some coffee. Of course I was interested, and suggested that we also take some portraits of each other, because another thing I believe is that we photographers should give each other a healthy dose of “this is what our clients have to go through when they get in front of a camera.”

We had so much fun laughing and drinking coffee and chatting about life and photography yesterday. Thank you Kaitie for such a great time and for being such an adorable model!

She makes the best faces. :)

I was luh-luh-looooving the light in and around this old Baptist church we shot at. White walls as natural reflectors? It’s a beautiful (and awfully convenient) thing.

Kaitie, you’re gorgeous. The end.

It’s true, we also did some old school hip hop dancing after having a good laugh about how white people love “black music that black people don’t listen to anymore.” (See my post about the book Stuff White People Like for more hilariousness.) Busta move, Kaitie!

I’m so proud of how far she’s come in such a short amount of time, and am so glad I finally got to meet her in person after having an online friendship for so long. Go check out Kaitie’s blog to see her fantastic work!