Being a Photographer was Never My Dream....

From the youngest age, I wanted to be a singer. I've always loved singing, being in front of a crowd, and sharing that gift with others. I can remember the first time I sang a solo in front of church and the compliments I got after. I've always heard I have great voice, but being a famous singer didn't pan out. So I became a photographer.

Don't worry, I didn't lose my voice. I still sing and participate regularly in choir and musicals. I'll be honest, but story really isn't that dramatic, and photography wasn't the fallback plan, it kind of just...happened.

I've always loved the creative arts. I took art classes throughout junior high and high school and writing classes were some of my favorites in school. For as long as I can remember, there was some sort of camera around our house. I started off, like most 90's kids, with a cheap film camera that eventually I kept upgrading until I got my first DSLR camera in 2014. I can remember the transformation of photography from 1 week film development to 24 hour development to my parents buying a digital camera. The development of photography in my lifetime was amazing to me and when digital cameras came around it was a marvel. The ability to see what I had captured instantly had me hooked.

I honed in my photography skills taking photos of whatever I could: Christmas gatherings, butterflies, flowers, sunsets, pool parties, my brother's basketball games. You name it, I was trying to take pictures of it. My composition grew better, and eventually the technical skills caught up when I worked at Grace Adventures in 2015 and learned how a camera actually works. That summer shaped my photography and using what I learned, over the next few years gained enough confidence to say, "Yes." to my first wedding client. Since then, I've been blessed to capture memories for a number of other weddings and families. This year, I established Merry Katy Studios and now my new dream is to continue to create the best photos I can for anyone who works with me and to add some more smiles to the world.