Meet Trailblazer Katie Torres

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Torres.

Katie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The first birth I ever photographed was at the age of 14 and it was the birth of my youngest brother. I’d like to say from then on I knew that I wanted to grow up and become a Birth Photographer; however, my journey wasn’t quite as smooth as that. When I graduated in high school, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do as a career and so I thought to put my passion for art with my love for connecting with others and wanting to help families was a perfect idea. So, I attended the University of Northern Colorado and received my bachelor’s in Art and Design and Psychology with the goal to become a Family Therapist.

During my last semester of college, I gave birth to my oldest daughter and picked up my camera once again. I started sharing my images with my friends and family which then lead to inquiries from friends who wanted someone to take their photos. At this point, I still hadn’t envisioned myself as becoming a photographer. I ended up graduating with my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and worked in community corrections as a Mental Health Therapist.

I had loved the idea that I was helping others but I was finding myself burned out and not enjoying the work I was doing. After the birth of my second child, I decided to stay home with him and take on more photography clients but I still wasn’t sold on the idea that this was where I was meant to be.

Fast forward two years later and we have a 5-year-old and a two-year-old, I am staying home with them full time and taking photos part-time. Here is where life got really, really hard. My father in law had just lost his battle with cancer and we had traveled out of town to be with family and attend his memorial. When we came back home, we found an outdoor broken down and our home robbed. Later that week, my husband went back to work only to come home to tell me that he lost his job because they were able to take on his workload while he was away for the week and realized they didn’t need him anymore.

It took a lot to recover from that time, but out of it came a beautiful bond between myself and my husband. We decided that we were going to take our future into our own hands and start a business together offering photography to families in Denver.

We knew that we wanted our photography business to be more than just taking photos, we wanted to show the emotion and love that is shared between family members. I have always believed that photographs are a way to connect with the ones we love even when we are miles apart. That was when I started exploring the art of documenting life just as it was, without changing or manipulating the situation. Just observing and composing.

We then had our third child and I was so devastated that I didn’t have images to go back and look at. I had finally given birth to a child unmedicated and felt so powerful and proud but I didn’t have any visual reminders to go back and process my birth story with. It was then that I decided to become a Birth Photographer. After I photographed my first birth (since I had been 14), I knew without a doubt, I was finally where I was meant to be. It was a feeling I had never experienced before. It was a moment where all my passions and education (that I thought had gone to waste) came together. Now, I am enjoying raising our three beautiful children while providing for my family in a way that brings me so much joy and energy.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have struggled a lot throughout my journey and I know I will struggle some more. The best advice I have followed has been to be present as much as possible and try to find joy in the everyday. My family takes time every night before bed to talk about our favorite parts of the day and also share what challenged us. Recognizing our challenges has helped process and heal from them.

I think when things feel hard, it’s important to take care of what is necessary and before you know it, you’ll have room to do what is possible.

We’d love to hear more about Your Story Denver: Professional Birth Photography.
I am a Birth and Family Photographer specializing in documenting and empowering my clients. I specialize in documenting families and providing aesthetically pleasing images that provide a peek into the subject’s personality. My favorite part of my brand is that images should be a way to connect to someone even when they are not with you.

I had this realization while I sat at the funeral of a client who I just spoke with a week prior to set up their next family session, I realized that the image placed in front of her casket was worth so much more than I ever knew it would be. Her young children wouldn’t have their mom to hold them anymore but they did have images that portrayed the love she had for them.

I bring this same passion for documenting connection into every birth, newborn or family session.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Without a doubt, I feel like the positive figures and support I had in my life lead to my ability to listen to others and my struggles lead to me wanting to push through and make a better life for myself and my family. Both the good and the bad have helped set me up for success.

Pricing:

• Family and Newborn Photography- Starting at $650
• Birth Photography and Videography Starting at $2150

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yourstorydenver.com
• Phone: 303-801-9885
• Email: hello@yourstorydenver.com
• Instagram: @your.story.denver
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImagesbyKatieElizabeth/

Image Credit:
Lindsey Eden with Eden Photography

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