This week, Kate of Kate Fretland Portrait Studio is looking for "sun drenched parental love!" Her own images are dripping with sunshine and love. Enjoy taking a look!
1. Tell us about yourself...
Hi there! I'm Kate Fretland of Kate Fretland Portrait Studio in Rocklin, Ca.
I'm a California raised girl from a big family. 2nd of 5 kids! I was homeschooled and raised in an entrepreneurial and faith filled home by a farmer from Washington and a musician from LA. I believe my love of people and art came from my parents.
I married my high school sweetheart, Cory, who literally makes me blush sometimes the way he still looks at me; which is ridiculous because 80% of the time I'm wearing yoga pants and surrounded by our own 4 children. We run a Family and Newborn portrait studio in the foothills of Sacramento, Ca and are known for taking sun soaked family images of parents connecting with their children.
Total suburbia, but we are an hour and a half from both Lake Tahoe and San Francisco, which is nice as we travel to both often for work & to explore with our little homeschooled brood in tow. I love Jesus, people, Starbucks and my crazy little family. They are what and who fuel my creativity with photography. Becoming a mother made my heart become alive in so many ways and I think that's why my portraiture leans so much into capturing parent child connection and relationship. I also love yoga and plan on being really good at it one day ;)
When I'm not taking pictures of a newborn baby or a family in a field - you might overhear me chatting to my sister or friend at a Starbucks about co sleeping, breast feeding, home birthing, marriage or my 2 year old Isla's latest antics. Not very cool, I realize, but I really love all those things and love to impart what I know to new mamas, analyze personality traits or encourage a friend in her marriage. Life is hard - I believe it takes a good community of love and support to survive it and I'm so very grateful for the little tribe I'm a part of.
2. What ignited your passion for photography, and what fuels it now?
I often think my father passing when I was 18 impacted my desire to be a family story teller. We have 1 family portrait of us all and it is just a cheesy Olan Mills 8x10 but I love it. I was always the extrovert of the family and loved taking pictures of my younger siblings and friends with our old film cameras. I feel it is my love of people that fuels my desire to capture them connecting with their loved ones in a unique and emotional way.
3. What’s in your camera bag right now, what do use the most? the least?
I was mentored by an amazing wedding photographer in 2004 who used Nikon, so I became a Nikon girl - D750 and my beloved D700 and a d600 for my daughter. I have a few lenses - sigma art 35, sigma portrait 85 & Nikon 24-70. Right now I favor my 35 and use the 24 -70 least.
4. What’s your dream project or shoot?
My 9 year old daughter Julia is my little protege & second shoots with me often. We would not be sad if Taylor Swift hired us to photograph her future wedding, family portraits or
Newborn session, one day 
5. What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?
Time! It's hard to balance it all when you love what you do but love your family more. I want to kill it in this industry so badly but I only get to raise small children once. I find it challenging to devote enough time to my website, blog, social media, etc all while being present with my loved ones.
6. If you had $500 to spend on photography...
How should you spend it? On a website designer.
How do you wish you could spend it? Towards a new Fugi purse camera
How would you really spend it? On Newborn props, Free People & Expedia.
7. Is there any one thing you wish someone had told you at the very beginning of your photography journey?
Yes! Go to more workshops but choose wisely. Find someone who is reviewed as a good teacher, not just someone who takes pretty pictures & who you think is cool. I chose poorly and overspent on one and it turned me off of workshops which I feel could have helped me so much early on. Oh! And spring for a good lens!! I shot like 30 weddings on a kit lens. Oof.
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