ARTIST OF THE MONTH - KATE WHYTE
It’s time to present you the amazing work of our Artist of the Month in May 2018 – Kate Whyte from Vancouver, Canada. If you ever have been searching for inspiration when it comes to portrait, commercial and fashion photography – you will simply love the stunning images from Kate. Her artistic and powerful work is unique and outstanding. Lean back and get inspired by Kate.
How old are you and where are you from?
I am 33 years old and I currently live in Vancouver, Canada.
Tell us a little bit about your life in the moment?
I live in a lovely little loft in the city that doubles as my studio – although my husband and two dogs would probably prefer not to be tripping over strobe cables on the regular! I work as a commercial photographer for various different brands and I also still do some graphic design work. I love adventures and travel as much as I can – in fact, I’m writing in this in between packing for a trip to Italy tomorrow!
How did you end up being a photographer?
I took a few cheesy goth cemetery photos in high school, but it wasn’t until after I graduated from university that I was gifted a DSLR. I learned how to retouch as part of my education and initially, I started taking my own photos to practice on. I gradually realized that it was my favorite creative outlet and watched just about every online tutorial I could find. I got some steady gigs as a nightclub photographer and photographed drag queens and various other nightlife personalities for a local magazine.
As much as I loved the work, it was really challenging to make a living so I went back to design work for a few years. In 2015, I decided I was ready to take the plunge again and scored some pretty great commercial gigs and I’ve been back to freelancing as a photographer ever since. It will always have its highs and lows but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Photography feeds my soul.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
Hahaha, how big am I allowed to dream? Can I be living in a villa in the tuscan countryside shooting the occasional stylish elopement in between flying to Milan to meet with the creative director of Vogue Italia to talk about an upcoming shoot we have planned? Is that too much to ask?! :-)
What gear are you currently using?
I shoot with a Canon 5DIV and my fav lens is the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
What advice could you give out to a new starting photographer?
I really wish that I’d made friends with other photographers sooner. I’m honestly not sure why – but when I started out (10 years ago), I naively viewed other photographers only as my competition. I realized how silly this was and have since developed friendships with many talented photographers (in part thanks to groups like LLF) and I feel like those relationships have really helped me grow professionally and as a person.
Did the LLF community changed the way you see or shoot fashion/commercial/portraits etc.?
I feel so inspired by the talented people that contribute to LLF. I only started shooting people again last summer after about a seven year hiatus and the LLF community has definitely helped me develop my voice as an artist.
What plans do you have for 2018?
I would really like to master some technical aspects of photography that I struggle with and I just want to keep pushing my own boundaries and create art with people who inspire me.
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