Meet Katie Slater | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Slater and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I knew I wanted to be an artist from when I was young. I was constantly pursuing the art path throughout grade school, high school, and college. So it was a given that once I graduated with a Fine Art degree from the University of Virginia, that I would try to transform my passion into a full time profession. I wanted to get into brand and fashion photography because of the creativity and movement it allowed me to express. The process of collecting clients took a few years to learn, but none the less has paid off and only motivates me to continue in this career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
After graduating from the University of Virginia, I jumped head first into learning how to turn my passion for the arts into a career. Funny enough, I actually didnt graduate as a photography major- but as a sculpture major, in hopes to do store merchandising sets. After a short-go in that industry, I still felt the structure wasnt for me. I wanted to be in charge of my own creative direction in in my career, I wanted to still truly feel like an artist. So, I quickly switched to photography- a subject I had been studying since high school and throughout college. Both programs shooting only on film cameras and learning the fine art side of this craft. I decided to take a leap of faith to figure out how to even get into the photography world and moved across the world to Bondi Beach, Australia. It was there that I met the models, influencers, agencies, and brands whom I credit the beginning of my business too. Everything just started snow balling and Katie Slater Photography was born.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live on a little surf island called the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Most people know it by now because of the Netflix show (even though that wasnt actually filmed here). This stretch of land is miles of beautiful coastline covered in sand dunes, old school beach bungalows, and some of the dreamiest sunsets you’ll ever experience. When friends visit I mostly want them to grasp the uniqueness of my home, the special pieces that dont exist anywhere else, especially on the east coast. We would wake up, go for that early morning swim, maybe even beach it for a few hours down south, and then swing through the local pier bar or food shack on the way back home. Its pretty much ritual to finish the day off with an outdoor shower and head back out for sunset on a friends boat or just in the backyard. Of course, there are plenty of tourist attractions around- like jet skiing or slammed restaurants- but what makes the Outer Banks so great is being able to kick back and just be with your close friends in such a welcoming community.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Gotta give it up to my parents. For always pushing me in a non-pushy way.

Website: www.katieslaterart.com

Instagram: katieslater

Image Credits
Katie Slater