What is an associate photographer?

I hear this question often… “What is an associate photographer?”. I want to take this post and explain what an associate is, what are the differences in working with an associate vs working with me, and also talk about whether or not it would be something you should look into.

A little over 2 years ago, I was overwhelmed with the amount of inquiries I was turning away. There were so many families that wanted me to photograph their families, but I was already booked, and I can only personally do so much. I decided it was time for me to look into hiring my first associate photographer, and that’s what I did. It gave me the opportunity to work with many more families, and give them the same KIP experience. I trained photographers to shoot like me with a similar style and technique. I have had several photographers work under my brand through the last several years, and I currently have 2 associates that work exclusively with me. 

What is an associate photographer?
An associate photographer is someone that shoots under my Katherine Ives Photography brand. They shoot with a similar style to me to achieve the same look as I do when I’m taking pictures. They treat their clients with the utmost respect, love, and care. 

If you hire one of my associates, they will be the ones to take the photos, but all of the other back end work is done by me and my office team. We take care of the timelines, questionnaires, client communication, culling & editing, albums, invoicing, and everything else that goes into our portrait experience. 

Why would I hire an associate photographer?
There are a couple of reasons that you should consider hiring an associate photographer. The main one would be availability. I (Katie), book out very far in advance, and only book a limited amount of session per year. If I’m not available, but you still want the KIP experience, an associate photographer would be an amazing option for you!

If you have a tighter budget, an associate might be the perfect option for you. Our associate packages are priced slightly lower than my packages. You still get an associate that is extremely qualified and very experienced. My associates are some of the most talented photographers I have ever met, and I’m so thankful they have chosen to work with KIP. 

How experienced are your associate photographers?
our associates have several years of experience shooting as a lead shooter. They are both very qualified, and if I were getting married, I would trust either of them completely to photograph my day. 

When you hire KIP, you get the power of a team. We have the best photographers working with us. I’m very selective when looking for an associate. I don’t just hire any photographer. I want them to be the best of the best!

One other perk of hiring someone with a team, would be for the worst case scenario. What happens if your photographer has an emergency the day of your session and will no longer will be able to capture your family!? This is only a worst case scenario... If something tragic were to happen and one of us weren’t able to make it, one of the members of my team would be able to step in and take over, and you would still have the same quality and experience as you were counting on.

If you have any other questions about our associate program, feel free to comment below, and we will be happy to answer!