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Meet Kate Hampson

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Hampson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Kate. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m from a little place in England called London and I live here in sunny SoCal. I’m a wedding and elopement photographer. I love my cats, David Bowie, and am obsessed with capturing the little moments that makeup life’s rich tapestry (a quote from my dad who is my biggest fan).

I’ve always loved weddings. It is worth mentioning that I dressed up as Princess Diana the day she got married. I walked up and down our road wearing a net curtain and waving at passing cars. I truly believed they thought I was her. I was all of five years old.

I received a film camera for my birthday aged around 8 or 9. This was in the 80s, and digital wasn’t even an idea! I took photos of EVERYTHING. This love affair with photography continued through my travels around the world until I ended up in Queenstown, New Zealand.

After seeing a photographer whilst snowboarding, I walked straight into the photo place they worked for and asked for a job. Incredibly they said yes, and this led to capturing extreme sports such as white water rafting and snowboarding, with an occasional wedding. Shot on 35mm film as digital was still emerging at the time. The scariest way to start weddings!!!

I decided to go back to school at age 26 to study professional photographic practice and photojournalism. The goal really was to be a conflict photojournalist but the planets didn’t align for me at the time and it wasn’t meant to be. Plus, I couldn’t put my family through the worry! My time at Central St Martins School of Art and Design was incredibly beneficial, plus it is immortalized in the best song by the band Pulp.

A few years later, I photographed my best friend’s wedding and that was it. I fell in love with photographing love and all the little moments. Once I made the decision to specialize in weddings and elopements, I threw myself into starting my business. I’m really proud of what I’ve built, with no outsourcing to this day. I’m a one-woman show. I’ve had to teach myself everything from photo editing to marketing to how to build and edit a website. This year I branched out and began to offer mentorships and education for photographers. I am also trying to build a little darkroom in the bathroom.

I volunteer as much as I can with local and international non-profits. I’ve spent a lot of time with Soccer Without Borders in Oakland and Uganda, which is a fabulous organization. Through soccer, students build authentic cross-cultural relationships that play a key role in helping new students adjust to their lives in the US as they arrive as refugees. I also loved working with Together We Rise, a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the way kids experience foster care in America. I’m proud to partner with Wish Upon A Wedding, which grants weddings and vow renewals to couples facing serious illness or a life-altering circumstance.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely not a smooth road! I had no idea how to set up a business and it was such a huge learning curve. It probably didn’t help that my mentor was a noted war photographer and knew nothing about weddings! However, after a lot of trial and error, I got there.

After setting my business up, I moved from San Francisco to LA, so I had to start marketing and advertising way before the move. That was definitely a challenge!

Learning to look past critical comments has been an obstacle I am proud to have overcome. Even now, there is a person who likes to leave fake reviews in retaliation for helping with a #metoo against him. He would probably like to think he’s an obstacle but he’s just a little fly.

My biggest obstacle at this point is myself. I have a head full of ideas, drive, vegan power and the most supportive family. When I’m on top, I’m unstoppable. Then I go to social media. When I get sucked into the comparison game, it makes me second guess my creative choices. Comparisons break down self-confidence but I’ve also found the more accomplished the artist, the better the critic. As much as I try to tell myself this, I still find it helpful to step away from social media from time to time.

COVID and the parade of awfulness 2020 has thrown at us has put a small spanner in the works for many of my couples, which has been hard for them. Fortunately, they have been able to adjust their plans and I’ve been happy to assist them, whether they choose to postpone their weddings or elope. I adore my couples and will do anything I can to help them.

Alright – so let’s talk business.  What else should we know about you and your career so far?
I am primarily a wedding and elopement photographer, but I capture any kind of celebration of love. I keep it mainly documentary, capture the action as it unfolds and tell a story. I want to provide all my couples timeless photos that truly capture the essence of their day while being as unobtrusive as possible.

All weddings are different, all couples are different and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Although it is a little like wedding bingo – there are certain moments to keep an eye out for! My personal favourite is when the couple has the “we’re married” realization – about 5 minutes after the ceremony.

I am also a hybrid shooter which is quite rare – I shoot on 35mm film, medium format film as well as digital. I was honored to photograph my first celebrity wedding this year and they let me shoot the whole day on film. There is something special about the look of film which is impossible to replicate.

On top of shooting on film, I’m a little different in that I have a strong London accent and am older than my fellow wedding photographers. I see this as a positive – older conveys experience!

I love people and am fortunate to befriend many of my couples. I’ve actually started taking my bride’s surfing, which has been a tremendous amount of fun.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
I’ve won a few awards, but to be honest it’s the charity work I’m most proud of. I was invited to Kampala in Uganda to document the Soccer Without Borders youth festival in 2018. The experience was so humbling, and the people I met were inspiring. Whilst there, I befriended two brothers, Jules and Aksanti, who are refugees from the DRC. Both took a huge interest in photography and Jules has now set up a photography and design business. I could not be happier for him. On a personal level, being able to photograph my parents’ golden wedding and vow renewal last year was a highlight of my career.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe to succeed as a creative and as a business owner, you need a combination of three things – hard work, talent and enthusiasm. And one of those absolutely has to be enthusiasm. Unfortunately, most of the talent went to my brother, who is an artist. I’m just a very hard worker! Determination and kindness are also necessary to succeed.

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