Hey friends! I’m Katelyn James, and I’m a wedding photographer based out of Richmond, VA! My high school sweetheart turned husband is my business partner and we have a fluffy, apricot Bichpoo that steals the show during our family portraits! When we aren’t photographing 30+ weddings annually, we’re educating photographers online and in person through our shop, our online course, our workshops and one-on-one coaching! We love what we do not only because we get to see lives being changed but also because of the sweet freedom that our job brings to our lives! We’re currently learning how to ENJOY that freedom instead of letting our business hold us hostage. We love the Lord, community, traveling and real estate! We are currently building a house and our favorite thing to do is check on the progress every evening!!
How do you take care of yourself so that you’re physically and mentally prepared to be your best self for others?
I have recently discovered that I don’t need to work 5-6 days a week. Michael and I can get our tasks done in 3-4 work days and I’ve realized that by adding more margin into our lives, I’m a better wife, photographer, friend and business owner! Now the challenge is using that new found free time to develop a better workout routine!
What’s your favorite beauty secret?
Hmmm… this is a good question! So, I have realized in my 20’s that I’m not the girl who spends time researching products and watching mair and makeup tutorials on Youtube just for fun. I have two girlfriends who do all of that research and then they just tell me what to do! A few things I LOVE are VERB hair conditioner and my teasing brush! My hair isn’t SUPER thick but I can fool ANYONE with my teasing brush!! :)
What’s your favorite go-to outfit for a quick polished look?
My favorite go-to outfit would have to be stretchy white jeans (comfortable!) with a navy blue blazer and short taupe boots!
What’s your favorite quick-prep dinner for your family?
This is really funny for me to answer this considering that I do NOT cook at ALL! Michael cooks for us and I’m SO thankful! Recently my favorite “quick” meal that I CAN make is a summer salad with baby spinach, strawberries, sliced almonds, feta and raspberry vinaigrette dressing!
Tell us your favorite Instagram account to follow and why?
Hmmm.. I LOVE following @studiomcgee because I love home interiors! It’s inspiring to follow another business so closely even though we are in completely different industries! I find it inspiring!
What tradition or routine is important to you?
Michael and I pray together at night several times a week. We’ll be in bed and we’ll pray about all that’s going on in our lives and it makes us end the day being on the same page and I love that. This is next tradition is really pretty pathetic compared to my first one but Michael and I love watching our “shows” together in the evenings. We have several that we love and I’m embarrassed to admit that one of them is the Bachelor.
What’s in your purse?
Sunglasses, Wallet, Chapstick, Invisalign container (Yes, I’m basically in braces again!), Altoids and lotion!
Where do you find your inspiration?
Like I mentioned above, I find inspiration from looking outside of my industry. I love studying business ideas from other industries and bringing them back into the photography world! I’m also inspired by HOME DECOR of any kind! I LOVE decorating!!
How do you balance all of your work responsibilities with your home and personal life? Any tips for our readers?
Michael and I don’t have any children and so I’m sure that when that day comes, our life is going to flip upside down. However, for right now, we balance work/life responsibilities in a few ways. We have a day called “Monthly Duty Day” and it’s on this day that we get ALL of our reoccurring monthly tasks done in a couple of hours instead of trying to remember all of those tasks throughout the month. These tasks range from giving the dog his heart-worm pills to submitting weddings that we shot the month before to paying sales tax. This allows us to start the month knowing that our monthly tasks are already taken care of and we can focus on day-to-day tasks. This concept lifts a weight off of us each month so that we’re less consumed about “getting stuff done” and can be more focused on LIVING!
What’s your favorite app (or other tool) for helping you do life?
There are so many options out there for this but we LOVE Mint.com. This is a FREE tool that tracks and categorizes ALL of our expenses in our business and it’s really accurate! This makes the financial side of our business organized and constantly up to date!
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