Katie Jewell
I’m Katie! My middle name is Jewell (two L’s); I was named after my great-grandmother. On April 1, 2017, I married the love of my life and started the beautiful journey of marriage. Praise the Lord! I was born and raised in Portland, TN, then lived in Birmingham, AL, for seven years, and I currently reside in Muscle Shoals, AL. After graduating from Samford University in May of ’13 and graduating from the Briarwood Fellows Program in May of ’14, I settled into post grad life with all the grace of a newborn colt. I struggled to keep my head above water for several months before the Lord began showing me what my next move was: pursuing photography full time. I’ve finally begun the process of establishing who I am not only as a photographer but also as a small business owner. The Lord has been so sweet to me and has provided just what I need, when I need it. Life is good, and I’ve got possibilities ahead of me that make me so, so excited. I started my business focusing primarily on portrait (families, children, seniors, headshots, etc.) and engagement photography. I shot a few small weddings for next-to-nothing as I was trying to build a portfolio in college, but never in my wildest dreams would I have considered myself a wedding photographer. It was only through the encouragement of a mentor that I found the courage, desire, and confidence to step into the wedding industry…and what a crazy, beautiful, rewarding industry it has turned out to be. For weddings, engagements, and portrait sessions alike, my goal is to capture moments and memories in a natural, fun, relaxed atmosphere. I love the great outdoors, and I love the magic of sunlight. I love adventure. I want your pictures to look as organic as possible; I want your time with me to be a memory, not a task. When we get together for a consultation, I want to get to know you. I want to know who you are and what you want your pictures to reflect. I want to know how I can make your experience with me the best one possible. And I want us to make dang good photographs together. Though I ran hard in the opposite direction, searching for worth and contentment in the most empty of places . . . the Hound of Heaven hunted me down in the winter of 2011.
He’s the reason I can have joy in the midst of the deepest sorrow. He’s the reason I can have faith in the most hopeless situations. And he’s the reason I feel loved and cherished despite the brokenness and bitterness of my past. If you want a brief, two-minute version of why that is, watch this video. If you want a more personal explanation, check out some of my ramblings at Broad Places. Will you let me buy you a coffee and talk about it sometime? This isn’t a gimmick. It’s not something that I follow blindly. I know a lot of you will have different opinions, and I’m not here to try to shove mine down your throat. But all I know is that I’ve tried to live life without Christ, and it nearly destroyed me. He is the only thing that has proven Good and True in my life every. single. day. Grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.
