Life and Work with Katie Botwin

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

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in the flattest of flatlands—the suburbs of Chicago, to be specific— home to a booming hiking scene. Kidding! Upon visiting a friend in Colorado in high school, I realized that mountains were my natural habitat, and I enrolled in CSU. I majored in Landscape architecture, and subsequently got a job at a landscape architecture firm. After finding photography and starting I side business, and then realizing this was not the right career path for me, I left and got a job as an art director for a startup in Denver. While working there, I built up my side photography business more and more and learned the basics of running a business. I then decided to go full send into photography, bought a van with my partner Drew, built it out, and have been traveling around in it since– with short breaks from the van in winter. While traveling, I built my photography business and am now a full-time freelance photographer.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely not! I struggled with living a life that is a little different from others. Being on the road all of the time can get hard. Being with you so 24/7 can get hard.

I guess the biggest thing for me was realizing there’s rarely a “perfect time” for big, scary decisions. Quitting my job at the landscape architecture firm to go to a startup was scary, quitting my art director position to go freelance was scary, buying and building out the van was scary. There was never a “perfect” time for any of those things. Sometimes you just have to jump out of the nest and hope the wind catches your wings!

Please tell us about Katie Botwin Photography.
I capture outdoor adventure, landscape, and shoot product photography for brands in the outdoor industry/who are trying to get more of a foothold in the outdoor industry. I also shoot the occasional engagement when where I’m located lines up with someone who would like me to shoot for them. As someone who’s been in love with the outdoor industry for quite sometime, I love working with people and brands in the space. It’s a passion that I’ve turned into my work, and because of that, I’m able to pour my whole soul into my photos!

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
The NPR podcast How I built this really inspired me– it’s all about entrepreneurs starting businesses, and you can hear all of the struggles they went through and realize you aren’t alone.

The 4-Hour Work Week helped me understand how to start a business that isn’t that classic 9-5 job, and how to prioritize tasks.

The Headspace App is an amazing tool to help you relax, unwind, and work on mindfulness. Something I’ve turned to a lot through the past few years. Sometimes working for yourself, or just life in general gets a little overwhelming, but this app helped me breathe through those tough moments.

As cheesy as it sounds, The Power of Now has continued to help me with whenever I get overwhelmed or nervous!

Contact Info:

• Website: katiebotwin.com
• Email: katie.botwin@gmail.com
• Instagram: @katie.botwin
• Facebook: @katiebotwinphotography

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.