By: Haley Lane

Katelynn Connell, a stunning new photographer, is on the rise in Buckhannon, WV! 

Katelynn is a senior at West Virginia Wesleyan College and is on the road to graduating with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and marketing. After college, she wishes to expand her business and go full-time. She specializes in couples, weddings, families, and portrait photography. I interviewed Katelynn and asked about her business, the challenges she had to overcome, and her plans for the future.

First, I asked Katelynn what initially sparked her interest in photography to which she replied: “I did yearbook in high school and got to take pictures of the sports teams. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but I really liked the feeling of capturing people as they were. Fast forward to my sophomore year in college, I bought my first camera to participate in an Intro to Photography class. We had creative assignments that got me excited to take pictures again. I didn’t start taking photography seriously until I invested more into my equipment and gained experience with photoshoots.”

Secondly, I asked Katelynn about some of the challenging things she has faced since jumping into this business. She stated, “Some challenges I have faced so far are how much money it really takes to start your own business and to keep it running. I believe it is worth the investment as you grow and match what you put in. Another challenge that I’m dealing with right now is just trying to find what type of photography I want to do. I’m doing tons of experimenting to figure that out. This will take a good amount of time and energy, as well as free shoots.”

Lastly, I asked Katelynn about the plans she has for the future of her business. She replied. “My plans for the future of my business are to go full-time by the time I graduate college or soon after. I also want to break into the wedding industry and hopefully have a few more weddings to experiment with by next summer. Since I am from Ohio originally, I’ve had the most inquiries there, this makes it difficult for me to travel back in forth, so my hope is to grow my clientele or exposure in the area that I’m living in or the surrounding areas! So far, I don’t have any dream locations or venues yet, however, I do dream of doing beautiful weddings all over West Virginia and Ohio over the next couple of years.”

To contact Katelynn, direct message her through her photography account on Instagram- @katesphotography_design. Support small businesses and book a shoot!