Chef Thom Stevenson // Cancer Support Community of Central Ohio

August 15, 2017 By // by kate

When you cook, you are doing more than preparing food. You are feeding peoples souls.

Last year I volunteered to photograph the Night of Chocolate fundraiser gala for Cancer Support Community of Central Ohio, which was fantastic, and have teamed up with them for a few more projects, which includes this years Night of Chocolate, (tickets can be purchased by clicking [HERE]) which is going to be FANTASTIC. I had the opportunity to meet and photograph thier executive chef, Thom Stevenson.

In addition to being the executive chef for Cancer Support Community, he is a professor at Ohio University, and is all around an awesome person. He and I had a ball talking food, laughing, and talking kitchen stories.

I can’t wait to work with him again.

Chef Tom Stevenson // Cancer Support Community

Emily + Krista // k.H.a. lifestyle photography // Columbus Lifestyle Photographer

July 13, 2017 By // by kate

I met Emily just before Christmas, at Marcellas up on Polaris, and it was this instant click of recognition. She and I started hanging out in the winter sunlight here in Ohio and have been friends since. I knew the first time we met that I was going to get her in front of camera, we just didn’t know when.

Emily + Krista share a big, beautiful, amazing kind of love. #columbusohio #khalifstylephotography Share on X

The love they have for each other fills the room.

This spring, we finally made it happen. (Also, Emily is a dog whipserer like you would not believe. Eddie, the dog who used to be afraid of EVERYONE took right to her, and Otis was right behind him). They don’t even relax on me they way they do with her. It’s fantastic to watch, and it happens eery time she comes over.

ANYHOW.

Watching these two interact is so cool. the love that they have for each other fills the room. Seriously, it rubs off on everyone around them.

Krista started out in front of the camera, and the laughter started flowing. I’m tellin’ ya, thier love fills whatever room they happen to be in.

Arlo, thier furchild, who btw, has (his own Instagram.) even decided that he would let us get a few frames of him as well. You should check it out, it’s fun to watch he and his person Emily on their adventures.

Snuggle sessions, lifestyle sessions, I love this. Being able to put people at ease enough to let down the guard that EVERYONE puts up when they get in front of a camera (professionals aside) down, and let me show them how truly beautiful they are, this is my passion.

Want to schedule a session for you and yours?

Let’s talk.

Emily + Krista

Featured on LadyBossBloggers // k.H.a. lifestyle photography // Columbus Lifestyle Photographer

April 10, 2017 By // by kate

Kathryn Heitkamp is a photographer and blogger who finds inherent joy in entertaining, exploring the world, meeting new people and learning their stories. She’s a lover of paper planners, copious amounts of caffeine, red wine, gold fish crackers, good manicures, lattes, big Jackie-O style sunglasses, sparkling water, blue pens, lipstick, and black yoga-esque pants & boots (or sandals in the summer months). She has had a camera in her hands for as long as she can remember, a background in professional kitchens, and has a big workaholic problem. Read our interview with the lovely Kathryn below…

What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?

After a long and incredibly wearing attempt to fit into Corporate America, I left that world to regroup. Then three months later, my husband and I moved across the country to Columbus, Ohio, leaving our family in Portland, Oregon to be closer to our family in Ohio. I dove into establishing my business in a completely new market and haven’t looked back since.

Tell us about your business.

My photography studio has a few different facets:

Under my “k.H.a.lifestyle photography brand” I do weddings, portraits, and events.
Under my “cook.eat.explore brand” I do food photography. Food and photography have both been long time passions of mine and rather than trying to decide between the two (and with the support and final push from my husband) I decided to embrace both!

I work with my clients to capture the truest portraits, working to put them at ease in front of my camera. I find the most joy in hearing my clients say, “That’s me? Oh wow, I’ve hated every portrait of myself before now, and I LOVE that one!”

On the cook.eat.explore side of my business, I interview local chefs, restauranteurs, and the big dogs of the local food scene, bringing to life their passions and art for my readers. My goal is to get people out of the suburbs and chain restaurants and into local farm to table restaurants.

List awards/certifications/accomplishments.

I entered 50 of my favorite photos from 2016 into the Shoot & Share contest, and had three rank! One placed in the top 10% and two in the top 20% of over 300,000 photos entered.

Where is your business based?

I travel the country for my clients and am based out of Columbus, Ohio.

What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?

I have had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember, so once the decision was made to fully kick off my business, I spent the first year focusing on the legal side of things, making sure that all my ducks were in a row. Once contracts and processes were in place, websites up and running, the marketing started. From there, it’s been a rollercoaster of networking, shooting, traveling for clients, editing, and writing.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?

The most effective way of raising awareness for my business has been through two different channels.

First off, I have been getting out and networking with local creatives, through the local Tuesdays Together group of the Rising Tide Society, styled shoots with other photographers and vendors, and passing out what feels like an ocean of business cards.
Secondly, I’ve spent a year learning the ins and outs of Instagram, Facebook, the importance of hashtags, and how incredibly important consistent posting is.

What have been your biggest challenges so far?

My biggest challenge has been moving my relationship-based business to a city where I knew no one, essentially starting over from scratch, which in turn, became a blessing in disguise.

How did you overcome these challenges?

Overcoming these challenges has been challenge in and of itself. Everything in my world changed at once, and largely, I’ve rolled with it. Moving to a new city has afforded me the chance to focus wholly on business and on growing it. By networking with other creatives, I have found a community of people who face and deal with the same challenges on a daily basis, and have built up a tribe of other creatives who can lean on each other for business support, personal support, and who all act as each other’s sounding boards. My husband Jeff has been a major source of support as well, acting as a constant source of support and encouragement.

How do you keep motivated through difficult times?

While in the corporate world, I was given the nickname “Fearless”, which defines me pretty well. I will talk to anyone, about anything, and firmly believe that you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take. My inherent belief in myself and my talent pulls me through the difficult times that come with being creative entrepreneur. I’ve learned, after a long while, to embrace the bad days, and stop beating myself up for having bad days. After all, everyone has them in every industry. At the end of the day, even with the difficulties that come with this life, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would rather work 200 hour weeks for myself, than 40 hours a week for someone else.

How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?

I don’t ask the standard interview questions, rather I have two questions I prefer to ask and then I follow the lead of the person I am sitting down with. I am able to relax my clients while they’re in front of my camera, which as someone who actively despises being in front of camera, I understand the importance of feeling comfortable!

By doing so, I have been able to capture images of my clients as they truly are, creating portraits that are loved and shared. My passion for printed art stems from one simple sentence: “You may not ever understand the importance of a printed photograph, until it’s all you have left”. In our digital world, printed art work is making a comeback and I am helping to preserve my clients memories from start to finish.

What is the best advice you have received recently?

The best advice that I have received has been how incredibly important it is to take care of yourself. It is easy to get caught up in the never ending to-do lists that come with owning your own business, and feel as though you can always be doing more. Set business hours. Stick to them. If you continually put off taking care of yourself, it will catch up to you.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Get enough sleep. Drink enough water. Get out and do something physical. (Photography Yoga, anyone?) Make sure that you set business hours and truly BELIEVE in them.

What is your favorite business tool or resource?

My favorite business tool is my gigantic Plum Paper planner. Without it, I would be LOST. The biggest lie I’ve ever told myself is “oh, I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember.” Not true. I need to write it down – pen to paper.

What social media outlets do you use? List them below.

Instagram @k.h.a.lifestylephotography, @cook.eat.explore
Twitter @kha_photography, @cook.eat.explore
Facebook www.facebook.com/whatkatescooking, www.facebook.com/k.h.a.lifestylephotography
Pinterest Cook.Eat.Explore & k.H.a.lifestylephotography
Website www.cookeatexplore.com, www.khalifestylephotography.com
Email kate@khalifestylephotography.com, kate@cookeatexplore.com
Hashtags #khalifestylephotography #cookeatexplore

What is a good article or book you have read recently?

Reading for fun has always been a passion of mine and I find my way back to the same two books to read for fun, to turn off the business side of my brain and recharge my batteries – “Wuthering Heights” & “Shadow of the Wind”.

What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?

I am always looking for new ways to network and market my business.

What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?

I am currently booking 2017 weddings and perfecting my blogging work flow.

A Series of Lightbulb Moments // k.H.a. Lifestyle Photography // Columbus Lifestyle Photographer

April 3, 2017 By // by kate

One weekend last summer while my cousin and her husband were visiting us here in Columbus she and I had a discussion about moving away from everyone and everything you know, essentially on a leap of faith.

She knows this better than anyone else I know, as she’s not only done so here in the States (multiple times), she also did so in Ireland. She get’s it.

As we were talking, one thought she had has really stuck with me.

Moving across the country (in her case ocean, country, ocean, country, country) is hard, and there a moments that really suck. However, the things that happen while you are so far out of your comfort zone are AMAZING.”

So. Much. Truth.

One of the many mental ‘light bulbs’ I’ve had since we moved is how important it really is to be true to who you are. Moving out here has been fantastic for me in that sense. I’m done trying to be someone I’m not, and in that, I’ve finally shrugged off the rest of the bank, and that feels amazing. (Light bulb number one.)

I’ve spent more hours than not since leaving Portland working. (not always so much on the getting paid part, but working nonetheless) A major part of that working has been learning, watching every webinar I can to learn from the people in the industry that I have crazy respect for.

I can’t remember who said it, so my apologize to whomever I am not crediting, but thier point was this :: We spend so much time working on the business side of things that we can forget what brought us into this business in the first place. (Light bulb number two :: the creativity of photography is what I love, capturing moments is what I love, and when I stop picking up my camera for myself, I tend to get crabby. Same goes when I spent too much time focused only on the business side of things.)

This year I was able to go to WPPI (you can read more about that here) and while there, completely recharged my creative batteries.

With that, came the realization that my creative kicks in the most at night, be it editing photography, writing for here or for Cook.Eat.Explore, or working on mood boards for styled shoots, I do my best at night, during the day, I can do the business side of things, and do them fairly well, but the creativity is for the night. (Light bulb number three.)

According to my mom it’s always been this way.

I fought this for a very, very long time, and have finally realized that it was time to stop fighting it. This is what works for me.

About a week and a half after that, Christine Tremoulet, one of the speakers I heard at WPPI last month (who is also a woman who I have crazy respect for) posted a blog talking about pretty much the same thing, only far, far more eloquently than I have.

I’m reposting her words below, however, click HERE to read them at her blog, which you need to do. (Shameless plug for her :: check her out, she’s fantastic all the way around.)

The Real Best Time of Day to Post

You’re spending all this time researching when is the best time of day to post online, when do you need to make your Instagram post so it gets the most eyes on it, how many times a week should you blog, all of it.

Have you considered when is the best time of day for YOU to post though?

When should you sit down and work?

When should you focus on writing – which takes a LOT of brain power – and when should you focus on tasks like responding to emails, editing photos, or even having client meetings – which don’t take quite so much?

When are you at your highest energy levels – and what are you doing during that time?

The Magic of the Morning

I have spent the past several months tackling this question for myself, determining how my work fits in with my morning routine, with my life, when should I be getting it done, when do I find myself just procrastiworking?

I like to believe that I’m a night owl, but it isn’t really true. Yes, I often stay up quite late at night, as I’ve always had strange sleep patterns. Nighttime is best for me to do things like redesigning a website – where I don’t need to be creative so much, I’m just rearranging code. (It is creative, but not the same as writing.)

For me, the best time to write, to create, to get my thoughts down? Is actually in the morning.

I’m fresh out of bed. I haven’t had a chance to get allow the needs of others pile on to my to do list. I’m at my creative peak.

So why is it that we often insist on doing anything but writing at that time of day?

Instead, I fill that time with appointments, with errands, with exercise.

Or with reading Facebook and Instagram, if I’m going to be honest.

Yes, the perk of being self-employed is that I can do things when I want to do them, but how much more would I get done if I took advantage of my own rhythms?

My high-energy, most well-rested, creative time of day is early in the morning. If I put off a blog post until 4pm, I’m tired. I’m dragging. My writing is stiff, it just doesn’t flow. I feel like I’m trudging through the mud, and who likes that?

Your Working Patterns

As I work with my coaching clients, I encourage them to pay attention to their own energy levels. When are you most creative? When do the thoughts that you want to share with others come to you? When are you best at articulating them?

Don’t put your blog posts off until later in the day, after you get all the busy work tasks done. Try for a week putting them first thing in the morning. See if it makes writing more enjoyable for you.

The morning is when most of us are in the highest in energy – stop squandering it on the tasks that take the least amount of effort. Or on reading Facebook. I promise, all those things will still be there, but you’ll have finally knocked that blog post off of your to-do list where it has lingered for the past week.

Have you figured out what time of day is best for you for doing tasks like this?

The world needs your voice. Get it out there.

Interested in Reading More?

These are just a few of the books I’ve read on this topic when I realized I needed a better morning routine:

The 5 A.M. Miracle: Dominate Your Day Before Breakfast
The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)
The 4-Hour Workweek

Jeff + Kim // Surprise Engagement // k.H.a. lifestyle photography // Columbus Lifestyle Photographer

March 3, 2017 By // by kate

Jeff reached out to me early this year to orchestrate the perfect proposal for his now bride-to-be. I was so incredibly honored to be the one to plan and to capture the memory for them.

As the day arrived, the Ohio weather completely cooperated (like for REAL cooperated. It was 65*. In the middle of February. In Ohio) and my team and I descended on Creekside, and we got to work.

All of the details were seen to, from the candles to the flowers, to champagne, to the music, to the cheesecake. We were ready.

As they came around the curve, Christina Perri’s song a Thousand Years piped out and all the details clicked.

Jeff & Kims Surprise Proposal. #khalifestylephotography #columbusohio Share on X

These two are so much fun, and have been an absolute joy to work with.

Congrats! You’re Engaged!!! … Now What? | k.H.a. lifestyle photography | Columbus Lifestyle Photographer

January 20, 2017 By // by kate

One of my goals & plans in the new year is to be more consistent with blogging, and to add more depth to those blog posts.

Another is to collaborate more with other small business owners and creatives both in Columbus and in the cities that I’ll be traveling to and in.

To that end, I’ll be teaming up to share and trade blog posts with vendors I love, other photographers that I have crazy respect for, and to bring you a deeper look into the world behind the camera.

Once, a lifetime ago, I sold diamonds for a living, and while January to March is considered a photographers slow season, it is definitely not slow in the diamond world.

The end of November through Valentines is engagement season, which in turn means that there is a whole wave of engaged couples who start the planning process, which can be completely overwhelming. Where do you start? And that is after you’ve shared the happy news, and people flood you with recommendations for vendors to use, people to call, and the friend of your aunts coworkers sister who takes pictures in her spare time.

Not to mention budget. And what vendors do you consider, versus those that you decided were worth cutting out to save money.

Don’t get me wrong with any of this, there are not any right or wrong answers, as each wedding and each wedding day are completely unique. What works for one couple may not work at all for another, so this, like all advice, is to be taken with a grain of salt.

Alex, the owner and planner at One Weddings which offers a variety planning packages, is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. She wrote the following blog post, about what to expect one you’re engaged.

If you haven’t thought about hiring a wedding planner, or a day of coordinator, you ABSOLUTELY should.

Yay! You’re Engaged, Now What?

Congratulations on your engagement! Whether the proposal was a total surprise to you or something you and your fiancé had talked about, getting engaged is so exciting! When you’re ready to start thinking about your wedding, all of the options can be a little intimidating. Between choosing the Bridal Party, finalizing the guest list, setting a budget, finding a venue and all of your vendors, and trying to enjoy this fun season of life, wedding planning can be stressful! It’s hard to know where to begin the planning process – after all, most Brides have never planned a wedding before! If you are recently engaged or have been putting wedding planning off because you just don’t know where to start, this post is for you!

The first few things to consider are a budget, a date, a guest list, and your Bridal Party. The average cost of a Columbus, Ohio wedding is anywhere in the range of $20,000-$35,000. Does that mean you have to spend that much? Of course not! But, it does help you understand prices as you begin researching a venue and vendors. If your budget is under (even way under) the average, that’s ok. There are plenty of ways to save money on your wedding – including, keeping your guest list small, having your wedding at the house or property of a family member or friend, having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday, becoming a Do-It-Yourself Bride, and much more. In fact, I wrote a post on tips to save money on your wedding, which you can read here.

Another surprising way to save money on you wedding is by hiring a Wedding Planner! While you may think a Planner is not in your budget, Wedding Planners come with a huge list of resources and a network of professionals they trust and like to work with. I tell each of my Brides that I truly hope to save them what they spent on me! Having worked in the industry for some time and having planned many local weddings, I (and most Planners) know the market well and know which vendors are in budget. While you could research vendors yourself, some vendors that fit in your budget aren’t easy to find. Budget or low-cost vendors typically aren’t paying for advertising, so you won’t find them by googling ‘Columbus Wedding Photographer’, or searching on popular wedding sites like, The Knot. Aside from the monetary savings of working with a Planner, the stress taken off of you is invaluable. Whether you want to be involved in every aspect of wedding planning, having a Wedding Planner on your side makes every decision so much easier. Whatever you’re wondering during the process, from ‘What’s the average cost for a DJ’ to ‘Am I suppose to buy the Bridesmaid dresses’ to ‘What questions should I ask my Photographer’ – a Wedding Planner is only a call, text, or email away to answer your questions and ease your concerns.

If you’re in the process of researching wedding vendors (or, when you are), read this post on things to consider when selecting vendors.

After your budget is determined, choose a date (or approximate date). It’s best to have about a year to plan your wedding, but that isn’t always an option. Know that if you have less than a year to plan your wedding, you will need to begin the planning process as soon as possible, and many venues and vendors may be booked. As much as possible, keep your date flexible until you’ve secured a venue. While a date may be meaningful to you, if all venues are booked, it just isn’t an option. It’s best to have a “ball park” date, like a season you’d prefer, and then go from there as you research. You should start by booking a venue, as they typically book faster than vendors, and they are one thing that you absolutely have to have. When you reach out to a venue, give them some dates that are options for you and ask them for availability and pricing. Remember, a Friday or Sunday (or even an afternoon) wedding typically saves you a couple thousand dollars, if budget is a concern.

Next to determine are a guest list and a Bridal Party. With each, it can be hard to choose who to invite and who to leave out. Your guest list should be determined first by your budget – remember that a great way to keep costs low is by having a small guest list. If you have a large family or friend group to celebrate with, it is always an option to have a potluck engagement party or celebration before or after the actual wedding. There are plenty of charts and lists on the internet that can guide you on narrowing down a guest list and a Bridal Party, but it all comes down to who will make your day more enjoyable and who means the most to you and your fiancé. Maybe you decide not to invite anyone you both don’t know, or anyone you haven’t spent time with in the last year. While in a perfect world, it might be nice to have everyone you’ve interacted with since childhood, it usually isn’t possible or practical for your wedding. After all, your wedding is about you two and the love you share, not who is there to witness it.

Choosing the Bridal Party works the same way – who will make your engagement and wedding more enjoyable, and who means so much to you that you can’t imagine standing at the altar without them? If you want the same number of Bridesmaids and Groomsmen, sit down with your fiance and discuss who you both have in mind. If he has 4 in mind and you have 6, you might want to meet in the middle at 5 each, or reconsider some of your choices.

While this is a lot to take in, I hope it has given you some perspective on where to begin the planning process. Your wedding day is one of the best days of your life – it should be everything you envisioned and dreamed of!

If you are in the Columbus area and considering working with a Planner or Day-Of Coordinator, I am more than happy to meet you for coffee and chat about your options. Happy Planning!

You can view the original post here.

Holiday Hoopla | k.H.a. Lifestyle Photography | Columbus Lifestyle Photographer

December 2, 2016 By // by kate

A couple of weeks ago, through the Columbus chapter of The Rising Tide Society, I was presented with the opportunity to spend a day volunteering at Legacy Candle Co.. For me, the gal who ALWAYS has candles burning, it was pretty much one of the coolest opportunities I’ve been presented with.

I had so much fun, that I’ve kept going back, and plan on doing so until they toss me out. If you like candles, (and even if you don’t) you need to check them out. Amber, their founder has an amazing energy and light about her, and she is doing amazing things. And the candles… best smells ever.

That first day there, I met Brandy, who is one of the leaders of the Columbus Chapter of Out of Darkness.

Both Out of Darkness and Legacy Candle Co. are non profits who’s focus is getting women and children out of sex trafficking, which is a MUCH bigger problem than most realize. I’m partnering with Out of Darkness, for their Holiday Hoopla this year, what’s that you ask?

outofdarknessinvitesweb-6

Out of Darkness is hosting the Holiday Hoopla, on Saturday December 10th, from 11am-2pm, at the Westerville Nazarene Church, where for $5 per child, there will be cookies to decorate, ornaments to be made, goodies to be picked up fro office or teacher gifts, and most importantly, the opportunity to have photos taken with Santa.

I’ve heard rumors that Elsa may be there as well.

Bring your littles out for an afternoon of fun, help this amazing cause raise money, and just stop by and say hi, after all, who doesn’t like Christmas cookies?