When I flip through Katie O’Neill’s wedding and engagement pictures, two words come to
mind: crisp and vibrant. There’s something in the way that Katie edits her photos that makes the colours pop. And together with the sharp, facial details, that are so crisp, emotes so much feeling that tends to leap from the images and come alive. Wedding portraits are about capturing individual moments, from the overwhelming joy and happiness, to the small, intimate gestures of love, adventure, and connectedness. And Katie captures those moments so well.
Who are you and what sort of art do you create?
Hi! My name is Katie and I am based out of the Peterborough, Ontario area, but I serve Toronto, Durham, and Kawartha Lakes also! My business Kayoh Photography specializes in Weddings, Lifestyle, and Portraits.
How and when did you first get into photography?
What a great question! Dang, I really have to think about this one! I don’t remember a time that there wasn’t a camera around! As a kid I always had a point and shoot 35mm handy, but I never really appreciated it for what it could do until I started digging into my family’s photos more. I could sit for hours as a child and look at images taken of my family over they years – for some reason it all just fascinated me!
We also had some unusual cameras in the house from my Grandparents; I was raised by a single father in the earlier 90’s and we lived with my Nana and Papa. My Papa had been in the Royal Navy and always had a camera on him, so he was deemed “the unofficial photographer of his platoon”. I spent hours as a kid looking at old prints and negatives of H.M.S. ships, his Navy pals, and some of his adventures overseas. My Grandpa was a very important person in my life, and while in my early 20’s I started to dive deeper into photography – it seemed like a way to connect with him even though he’d been gone for years.
Now I truly realize how important photography and prints are. They help us to preserve our memories and evoke such incredible feelings!
What normally inspires or motivates your work? Where do you get your ideas for creating the images that you do?
I have to say that as a whole, the photographic community is pretty inspiring in and of itself. Community is such a great word for it! I’ve made some excellent friends in forums, through workshops and meetings, and now through Instagram! It seems as though everyone is just interested in making our field better and eager to help. This is truly inspiring! It makes me feel as though there are no judgments, and this pushes you to work a little harder. I’d have to say that’s pretty inspiring!
In addition, I can be a pretty emotional person – yes, I’ve cried at a wedding or two – but what I really mean is that I love the story behind things: the meaning. Emotions inspire me. Friends and family inspire me! I love looking at other peoples’ work – so let’s connect on Instagram!!!
What sort of gear do you use?
Gear is great, but I don’t necessarily think it has much bearing in the way you shoot. That being said, I’ve shot with Sony, Nikon, and now a Canon system.
What you’ll find in my camera bag:
-Canon 5D mkii
-Canon 50mm f1.8
-Canon 24-70mm f2.8
-Canon 70-200mm f2.8
-Yongnuo flashes
-Aperture wireless triggers
This set up works perfectly for me right now, but I’d love to add a Canon 5D mkiii soon as well as play with some more prime lenses!
What kind of tools do you use for post-production?
I love both Lightroom and Photoshop! Lightroom makes my workflow so very simple for weddings – but I prefer Photoshop for giving things an extra ‘pop’ when needed!! However, the real secret to my workflow is Photo Mechanic – this software is amazingly fast for importing and culling! It literally saves so much time! After culling, I import everything into Lightroom and work magic from there. I’ll pull in a few files to Photoshop – mostly couple portraits, then export and I’m done! However, I just added Fundy Designer to my list of tools – you can make beautiful album spreads in no time, definitely check it out if you haven’t already!
What is your favourite image that you have taken or what was one of your more memorable shoots and why?
This is such a tough question! I’ve photographed some incredible people, some are no longer with us and I know how important those images are to their families. Images really do mean much more than a quick snap on a cell phone – don’t get me wrong, I love the ease of having a camera on my phone, but it almost desensitizes us to the art and meaning of photography. But if I really had to narrow this down, I would say it’s an image I took two years ago of my best friend and her husband on their wedding day. It was such an honour to be able to photograph their special day, and the expressions and excitement they had we’re incredible!
What artists or works do you admire and inspire you?
As I said before, the photographic community is an incredible one. I love to look at everyone’s work filter in on social media, and there are so many photographers from around the world that I admire! I spend loads of time looking through Instagram and on the Looks Like Film group on Facebook! It’s important to do this, not only to show support for each other, but to gain inspiration and motivation as well. A couple big influences I will mention are Gabe McClintock, Jennifer Moher, Hugh Whitaker, and Sam Hurd – these guys are fantastic humans and you should check them out!
Are you currently working on any personal projects?
Sadly no. I have a few stylized shoots that I am planning with some fellow photographers, but we’re still in the planning process at the moment. In addition to owning and operating Kayoh Photography, I work full time at an amazing professional print lab in Toronto. It has been great learning the ins and outs of print products and has really opened my eyes to the importance of the tangible. However, I also have slightly less time for projects these days, so the ones I do take on are really something – but make sure to keep in touch to find out more!!
How do you make your clients comfortable to capture such stunning images?
I’ve always been a people person, so starting conversations and cracking jokes have never been an issue for me. It’s important that you connect with your clients and if they share similar traits to yourself, then it’s very easy for them to be comfortable in front of your lens! The way I shoot helps me too; I don’t give my subjects poses so much as I direct them into an interaction and wait for the right moments to click my shutter. Using this method I get the best emotions, laughs, and expressions – and the best part is they’re all natural!
What’s your favourite movie and why?
Labor Day and The Revenant were very inspiring lately as they were both shot using natural light and turned out amazing! But I’m going to break the rules here and tell you my favourite T.V. show because I can’t contain my excitement for the Gilmore Girls’ return on Netflix. Essentially my Dad and I share a very similar relationship to the one that Lorelai and Rory have. I grew up watching this show with my Dad and it meant a lot to me as I identify so well with it! So much so that my Pops and I have a father/ daughter tattoo inspired by the show. That’s right, you read that correctly!
Connect with Katie:
