Welcome!

So here it is … the blog. Thanks for stopping by, everyone. 🙂

Throughout the years, I have been incredibly blessed to have met hundreds of people who so graciously let my camera and I into their lives: People who have trusted me to photograph them — to tell their stories — within just minutes of meeting. Some of the situations have been momentous and upbeat, while others have been sensitive and emotional. With every photo taken — through every subject met — I grow. For whatever talents I have today, my subjects, my family, my friends and my faith are to thank.

In doing what I do, I oftentimes ask myself, “If the roles were reversed, would I allow me to tell my story?” I fully understand these are moments in your life — ones that pass by incredibly quick. If a camera is invited, there’s a reason: A story. An event. An opening. A closing. A promise. A goodbye. A hello.

Photography is my profession and my passion. When I say my style is “photojournalistic,” it’s not because real-life pictures happen to be the trend. My style is based purely upon my journalism education and newspaper background. Photojournalism means connecting with people and earning a certain level of trust and comfort before I lift my camera. It means long hours, low pay and huge personal rewards. Photojournalism means capturing a real moment — nothing staged, nothing forced, nothing fake. It means lifting a camera when no one else thinks to, and telling a story that deserves to be told. Photojournalism will always have a huge piece of my heart, and as my journey in the photography world continues, I hope to apply those skills not only to my ongoing newspaper work, but also to the lives of my clients. You, too, deserve an honest, telling documentation of the day you marry your best friend. And you should be proud to decorate your home with natural, beautiful pictures of your children at all stages of their lives.

Through this blog, I hope to not only share my work with you, but also share my life with you. It’s only fair — you let me into your lives, and I’ll let you into mine.

That said, in recognition of my very first post, I decided to pull five photos from my personal life: Five photos that will show you five things about my world. Through my eyes …

The first photo below is of my fiancé, Tommy. I love this photo of him … I love the light, I love the colors, I love his smile, but most of all, I love him just so dang much. This picture is what you’ll find on the background of my bright pink iPhone. Last weekend, my 3-year-old niece, Hannah (who is SURE to make an appearance in this blog from time to time), saw the photo and said, “Katie, why is silly Tommy climbing the trees in your picture?!” Without Tommy, there might not be a Katie Derksen Photography. He encourages me when I’m down, he praises me when I’m up, he pushes me when I don’t want to be pushed, and he backs off when I give him “the look.” Tommy is my CFO, COO and CTO … but mostly, he’s my BFF. 🙂 I thank God every day for placing him in my life.

The next photo is, of course, of our puppy, Mya. She’s our little girl. She’s smarter than I’ll ever be able to make her look in a picture — Tommy is in the process of training her to become his lean, mean, hunting machine. She’s sassy, bitchy, sweet and adorable, all in one. I took this photo right before Christmas this year — if we could send out Christmas cards of our dog without looking totally insane, this would have been it.

The next photo is the first photo I shot after I was downsized from my position as a staff photojournalist last year. Tommy found this nest in our backyard. These four baby robins kept my camera clicking. With my calendar suddenly clear, I photographed these little eggs every day, right up until the tiny birds flew out of their nest. The series of pictures that followed helped me realize good things were going to come from a not-so-great situation.

The fourth photo is of my nephew, Landon, at his 1st birthday party a few months back. He’s the third child of my older brother Andy, and his beautiful wife, Missy. If could post a photo of all my family members without boring everyone to death, I would. My family, as well as my future family-in-law, is one of the most important aspects of my life. I spent a few years working for a paper down in Florida after I graduated from college, but I decided to move back, mostly so I would not have to miss moments like this …

The last photo is a picture of me, taken by the ridiculously talented photographer, Jennifer Cecil. Jenny is my soul sister and my best friend. We met while working as photographers for the same paper in Florida. It’s been almost four years since we’ve lived in the same city, but I don’t think two or three days have passed without a wifey-chat. I absolutely can’t wait to see where Jen’s career path takes her. She caught me in some golden light last year during one of a million lunch dates … good food, good light and good friends.