Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Katsenis.
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?
Like many people, what started as a hobby turned into a business. After I retired from being a special education teacher, I thought I would take my photography to a new level. Began to train with some of the best portrait photographers in Los Angeles. After two years of apprenticeships, I felt that I was beginning to develop my own style; to be my own class of portrait artists.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Photography is unbelievably difficult. The major struggle is learning about light and how to control it. If you are outside, there are millions of things you need to consider. If you are in a studio, where everything is controlled, there are still a million things you need to be thinking about. And if you are inside (not a studio) then you have problems of what we call mixed lighting as well as many other issues.
One of my teachers reinterated what is often said in this business, “Your first 10,000 images are horrible”. And that is pretty much what my experience was. But after you get past those first several thousand, things begin to get better.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a portrait artist. My speciality is taking formal images of children/tweens and Mother-Child. These are the images people seek me out for. They want images of their kids or of Mom and kids in a formal style with a modern take.
I am most proud of how natural my subjects look on camera, even though the shot has been planned for in amazing detail. In spite of this, they find a way to be unplanned.
What sets me apart from others is my overall skill level in studio photography as well as my ability to make people feel comfortable on camera. And of course, I have my signature style.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I never gave up. It sounds so simple. But seriously, that is 90% of success. Once you quit, you’re out. But if you just hang in there, just keep moving forward, you will make it. It took me seven years, and I had a lot of support from my family and friends. So, I can’t say I did it alone. But what I can take credit for is not quitting.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.panosproductions.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panosphotography/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/panos-productions-photography-los-angeles-2?osq=panos+productions+photography
Image Credits
All images Katherine Katsenis of Panos Productions Photography
