Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Waldis Dwyer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My “my first camera” story isn’t quite what you’d expect. It wasn’t an old digital camera I found in my parents’ things or disposable camera from CVS. It may be a very niche experience indeed that my first “camera” was the Photo Booth app on the MacBook computer I was given for schoolwork in middle school!
I would stage creative photo shoots of myself or get a group of friends together, sometimes recruiting my little sister to model for me since she would do just about anything I asked of her at that age. Obviously, this was no start to a career, just something fun that quickly turned into my first online portfolio on the new iPhone app… Instagram!
In high school, knowing my passion for photography and encouraging my creativity, my parents purchased a Nikon camera kit from Costco for our family trip to Australia. I carried it everywhere, documenting a trip that we saved for and planned out as a family for years.
Because I didn’t understand any of the technical requirements of my Nikon, I began to believe that my iPhone 8+ had better photography abilities than my professional camera. I left the “broken” camera at home when I went to college and mostly forgot about my hobby while I pursued a degree.
Though I must have made my interest for photography known because I took graduation photos on that same Nikon camera for my brother and his friends, and one of them played a huge part in the beginning of my creative career!
He was on his way to Austin with his girlfriend to look at engagement rings and asked me to take photos of them at the infamous Zilker Park. I didn’t even bring my camera to Austin, so he brought his very similar Nikon and kit lens, I spent the morning researching how to take photos with it, and taught myself as much as I could before meeting up with them. I had no idea what I was doing, but I had such a great time capturing their love story that it completely re-lit my passion for photography!
Through many more YouTube sessions and a small $250 investment of a prime lens, I was committed to making more of my long-time passion project. I mostly learned through my own mistakes, from shooting an entire trip to Zion National Park with the wrong focus point selected, to investing all of my corporate job’s commissions in new camera gear, I began to fall in love with the process of learning and growing in this creative endeavor!
While I was enjoying the craft for personal use, I never saw photography as a career opportunity. Until I discovered the podcast and education platform created by The Heart University, founded by Evie McLeod and Lindsey Roman. They dove into all kinds of topics regarding creative entrepreneurship and really opened my eyes to the opportunity at hand.
2023 was a big turning point in my career. I was doing photography as a solid side gig, I had booked my first wedding to shoot in July for my roommate, and I was actively praying that God would make this path clear to me if it were the one I was meant to embark on more seriously.
The morning after a very specific and intentional prayer about pursuing creative entrepreneurship, I got a call from my boss at the corporate job I’d had for three years telling me that my role had been eliminated. Two weeks later, I went to Palm Springs, California for The Heart Workshop – a photographer workshop for women trying to make the job from a 9-5 to a full-time photography career. It really changed my life, specifically the relationships I made there (friends who attended my wedding and I still talk to every day)!
Since then, I never looked back at corporate, never considered submitting another resume, I knew the Lord had given me the answer I was seeking. I’ve grown slowly as I continue to learn more about being a business owner and photographer, took a part-time job as a preschool teacher for fun while I continued to build up my business, but after getting married in June 2025, I stepped fully into photography full-time.
God has truly grown this business beyond what I could have imagined, allowing me to serve incredible couples in Austin and travel internationally to places like Lake Como, Italy, Switzerland, Punta Cana, and beyond.
Looking back, a wedding photography business wasn’t something I strategically planned, but was something I kept being drawn back to. What started with photoshoots on Photo Booth in middle school has become a calling to preserve marriage, legacy, and the sacred moments that shape a family’s story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a smooth road for an entrepreneur! My obstacles have ebbed and flowed through different seasons. As an artist, I’ve struggled to get my craft right. As a business owner, I have been challenged with figuring out how to be an accountant, marketer, legal advisor, and CEO all at once. The most amazing part of being a creative entrepreneur is the community you find and make along the way! That’s what has gotten me through the obstacles – God and the people He has given to me in this industry!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a wedding photographer based in Austin, Texas, serving couples locally and internationally who value marriage as more than just an event, but as a sacred covenant and legacy. I specialize in refined, timeless wedding photography that feels both artful and deeply personal.
While I absolutely care about beautiful imagery, I care just as much about the experience behind it. My role on a wedding day isn’t just to document what’s happening, it’s to create a sense of calm, soft direction, and intentionality so my couples can be fully present. I’m known for bringing a steady, peaceful energy into what can otherwise feel like a fast-paced and emotional day.
Stylistically, my work leans timeless and true-to-life, with an emphasis on capturing genuine emotion and the in-between moments; the way a father squeezes his daughter’s hand before the ceremony, the way a bride exhales right before walking down the aisle, the quiet glances that say more than words ever could. I want my images to feel just as meaningful 60 years from now as they do the day after the wedding.
What sets me apart is the reverence with which I approach marriage. I deeply believe that beauty matters. Not in a performative or trend-driven way, but in a way that reflects the character of God Himself. Throughout Scripture, we see intentional design, from he poetry of creation to the artistry of the tabernacle. I believe weddings are one of the most tangible reflections of covenant love, and the thoughtful design of a wedding day – the florals, the fashion, the architecture, the details – can serve as a visual testimony to His goodness. When I collaborate with planners, florists, and other creatives, it feels less like production and more like stewardship, made personal to each couple. We’re not just styling an event; we’re framing a sacred beginning with intention and beauty.
I see weddings as the testament to God’s faithfulness in the past of each spouse and all of the family members included in this sacred day, and also the beginning of a new family’s story, as they place renewed trust in God’s promises to guide and provide for them through the highs and lows of this life. That perspective shapes everything from how I guide my couples during engagement sessions, to how I document their vows, to how I deliver their final gallery.
I’m most proud of the trust my clients place in me. Many of my couples become friends. They invite me into sacred spaces, prayer before ceremonies, private vow readings, emotional family moments, and that level of trust is something I never take lightly. Watching my business grow in a way that allows me to serve couples in Austin and around the world while staying rooted in my values is something I’m incredibly grateful for.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Generally, I think people would see me as a risk-taker. I’ve jumped out of plains (on a whim, no less), flown to New Zealand, swam in lakes to climb glaciers, and love the adrenaline of the view atop a 10-mile hike. But when it comes to my career, I couldn’t say the same. I know that if I hadnt been laid off from my corporate job, I probably would not have chosen to leave (not because I didn’t want to, but because I was fearful of being successful on my own).
The biggest career risk I’ve taken was stepping fully into photography after being laid off from my corporate job. From the outside, it may have looked sudden, but internally it was something I had been praying about for months. I had built photography as a side business, invested in education, and was slowly gaining momentum, but I didn’t have the financial certainty or long list of bookings that would normally make someone feel “ready.”
The morning after I prayed very specifically for clarity about whether I should pursue photography more seriously, I received a call that my role had been eliminated. It wasn’t how I expected an answer to prayer to come, but it forced a decision: either treat photography as a temporary filler job while I searched for another corporate role, or lean in fully and see what could grow from it. And frankly, within minutes of the call, I knew my answer, called my parents, and told them I was going to pursue photography full-time!
Choosing not to submit another résumé and instead commit to building something of my own felt like the biggest professional risk I had ever taken. There was no guarantee of success. There was no predictable paycheck. There was only obedience, preparation, and a willingness to work.
Pricing:
- Weddings start at $3500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://katewaldiscreative.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katewaldis/
Image Credits
All of these images were taken by me. If you want any specific vendors from the weddings, I can provide that
