meet your new bff
I’m a Destination Wedding Photographer living in Northern California focused on queer, non-binary, offbeat, unique and adventurous couples all over the globe.
I am a fan of Fieldwork Brewing Company Sacramento, taking my dog to the Bark Park, summer river adventures at Sutter’s Landing, and bar/restaurant hopping around Midtown.
My goal in life is that everyone who enters my sphere becomes a lasting friend. I truly believe there’s nothing we cannot do while supporting and lifting one another up.
owner and principle photographer
Don’t mind me, I’m just the third wheel trying to capture those up close and intimate shots.
Me with my licky-doodle, the baby Chewy Wookie to my Han puppers, Max
I’m a badass wonder woman goddess, in case you didn’t already know
I’m on the board and a proud staff member of the Sugarloaf Fine Arts Camp based in Pollock Pines, CA
Fun Facts: I am adopted. I am pansexual. I am addicted to movie theater popcorn. I grew up on a farm. My favorite movie is Young Frankenstein.
I work closely with the Sacramento LGBT Center and Gender Health Center to make our community a brighter and more inclusive space for everyone to live.
I feel privledged that I’m able to capture love in all its forms and between so many diverse couples.
Early on I started with grad photos and fashion photos. I eventually moved onto moved to engagements, that’s where I felt like I really started to come into my own. Obviously I LOVE people, I’m a huge empath, so being around people in love made me feel lovely and capturing that brought me a ton of joy so I knew that I had to continue to expand on that.
When I transitioned to weddings I started learning from the best of the best. I took online classes, second shooting, networking, etc. and it really helped me grow into the true professional I am today. Since then, I’ve dabbled in wedding coordination in 2018 and have shot over 200+ weddings in my career.
In 2007 while in college at Chico state I started playing around with a camera I stole from a guy I was dating at the time. (There’s at least one positive to that failed relationship!) I took it to Thanksgiving and chased around my cousins the whole time, snapping away. I really enjoyed the creative freedom it gave me and the joy it brought once I got the film developed. I never once considered that it might become a career. Although I had my degree in Psychology with a minor in child education and I taught for 3-4 years after college, I never felt truly fulfilled by it.
Meanwhile, I was doing more and more photo shoots and realizing that I was spending more time on photos than I was at work and feeling WAY better about it so, eventually, I made the shift and decided to switch careers and become a legit photographer.
Everyone loves a good origin story
I love to travel to shoot! I’ve been invited to shoot in Hawaii, The Jersey Channel Islands, England, Montana, Missouri, done shoots in Australia when I was studying there, and ended up in China shooting a wedding in the Zhangjiajie National Forest park, where they filmed Avatar.
Work with me
See what Katherine Elyse Media can create for you!