Behind the Camera with Kaitlyn: Celebrating Family and Childhood

In this heartfelt interview, we dive into the creative world of Kaitlyn in the Rain, a talented photographer who captures the magic of family and the unfiltered essence of childhood. Kaitlyn shares her journey, from falling in love with photography as a teen to finding new inspiration through motherhood. 

What led you to focus your themes around family photography? Family photography is such an intimate art form. What drew you to this field, and how has it shaped your creative expression?

Since studying photography in school I’ve always loved the spontaneity and natural candidness of children and their connection with others. They don’t really comply with societal expectations of how one should behave during pictures or otherwise, they are always irrevocably, themselves. I love being able to capture a child’s true essence and personality in a photograph, without the forced smiles brought on by bribery by their parents or otherwise. For me, true, wonderful memories are those that are genuine. Those in which we can remember the connection and moment how it was, not some fantasized wish. Family photography is the very essence of that, each moment of our journey as a family provides an opportunity to connect and create core memories.

In short, authentic connection and true love and beauty are what drew me to family photography. It has shaped my creative expression deeply, especially in the guise of social media where we’re sold images of the perfect home and perfect family. I now strive to capture moments that are real, especially with my own family, rather than the ones I want to portray to others or are staged and styled.

Was photography always your passion? Tell us a bit about your journey as a photographer. Did it start as a hobby, or was it something you always knew you wanted to pursue?

 Photography has been a passion for me since I was 14! I started learning black and white film photography in high school earning awards and recognition there. I continued the art form in college working with color film, medium and large format cameras and playing with all different types of mediums for printing and shooting. It is my absolute honor to have learned photography in this way. I know many, many people who have never picked up a film camera and learning on one I can say I much more understand the function of a camera and how to bend and break the rules we are taught as photographers.

When I was in school I didn’t think I would ever be able to make an art form my job so I let it go, only to come back to it years later when I had my own children. I am so glad I picked up the camera and get to do what I love for a job!

How has becoming a mother transformed you? Motherhood changes so much about how we see the world. How has being a mother influenced your work and how you capture family moments?

How has motherhood transformed me… wow. That’s a tough one! How hasn’t it? Man, becoming a mother takes you to every dark corner that you never wanted to face again and sheds light on parts of you that you didn’t realize needed to see the light. It is so difficult. It’s so hard for me. I’m quite a “fill my own cup” type of mother. I know my own needs and see to it that they are met so that I can be who I need to be for my children. I think the best thing that motherhood has taught me is that I never have to apologize for not wanting to do something or vice versa. My own needs are important, and my own peace is also important. What matters most is what’s going on in my own home and if others are offended or hurt by me doing what’s best for my family (missing events, not taking phone calls, choosing to stay home with sick little ones etc.), than that’s simply not someone that aligns with my values and views. 

I have only had my business since becoming a mother so I think that I focus on what I would want to have on my walls as a parent. I think about what moments I want to remember about exactly this moment in time. Little ringlets in my toddlers hair, tiny dimples on a baby’s chubby hand, toothless grins, laughter and honest care. Those are the things I want to have memories of forever so that’s what I want others’ to have as well!

Tell us about your children. We’d love to know more about your family! What are the main challenges and joys of having children, and how do they inspire your photography?

Oh my kids! Gosh, where do I begin? Soren is my oldest, he is 8 years old, no idea how that happened so quick! He is super smart, he absolutely loves legos, engineering and creating amazing things through building. He is also very creative and enjoys drawing. Him and I are so similar but also so different and I find him the most difficult of my children to parent. He craves connection is ways that I actively avoid so that has been tough! We are currently working on getting him evaluated for ADHD and Autism in order to give us more tools as parents to support him and his needs as much as we can! He recently, has been picking up the camera and loving taking photos which I am obsessed with encouraging and supporting! 

Tennessee is my middle child, she is 6 years old. She is tenacious, seriously a strong-willed female in all ways. She is very artistic soul and processes everything through drawing, painting and coloring. She has a mean temper, which I absolutely adore and am terrified of. She may be the middle child, but we will not let herself get overlooked or forgotten.

Calliope is my youngest, she is almost 3! She is absolutely hilarious, simply does not miss a beat! She loves everything, and anything her brother and sister love. She wants to do everything herself, especially if they are doing it. She was certainly our most difficult baby, she hated sleep, never took any soothing devices (pinky/bottle) and only wanted to nurse. I feel like I’m just coming out of the haze of her babyhood. She is a wonderful human and I wouldn’t trade the last years for anything as she has taught me to way slow down and take each moment as it comes!

Our family is very close, we spend almost all our time together and value our down time together. We love to go swimming, read, garden, play with our animals, do puzzles, do art together and listen to music, stories and podcasts. Our biggest challenges as parents right now are maintaining our sanities! It feels like at least 2 of our children are always having conflict or complaining about each other and we’re stuck between not want to interfere and wanting to maintain a calm home environment. It has been very tricky and stressful and for me very overstimulating. Overstimulation seems to be the downfall of everyone in our family at the moment. The joys are watching them connect with each other and come to one another’s aid. I never had siblings and always want my children to have one another to rely on so seeing them do so and build those relationships is really rewarding. I also find immense joy in creating with and for them. Whether it be painting with them or sewing them dresses, or photographing them at the swimming pool, I love getting to share my love of creativity with them.

You’ve worked with Red Caribou on some of their campaigns—can you share a bit about that experience?

What was it like photographing for a brand that draws so much inspiration from nature and wildlife, while also being deeply connected to children and storytelling?

It has been such a pleasure getting to work with Red Caribou that last few years! I fell in love with Red Caribou because of their obvious care for the environment and all the beings that live on this planet. I think it’s really important for us to choose brands that align with our values as humans and creators. It felt very easy to work for Red Caribou because I know our values align and having creative control also let me know that they trusted me as an artist to deliver exactly what they were looking for. 

What is your favorite part of photographing children?

The most rewarding thing about photographing children is connecting with them. Having them reach to me to hold them or having them remember me each year that I photograph them fills my soul. I love seeing those genuine giggles and joy. I strive to have my clients and their children know that all parts of their children are welcome. Do they hate getting their feet wet? Hey that’s okay, let’s do something else like see how high we can jump! Are they super uncomfortable sitting and smiling in front of a camera, hey me too! Let’s play a game of catch with little sister and get some of those wiggles out! Having a child know that I’m a safe person who’s not gonna require the utmost from them really builds an important relationship that reflects in my photos every single time.

To finish, do you have a Spirit Animal?

I do not have a spirit animal! But I think that if I did it would be a deer. Deer are master evaluators, they are always scanning their surroundings looking for any signs of danger. I too am always aware of surroundings and everything going on around me. This is both annoying and a blessing that I don’t take lightly. Deer are also forest dwellers which is where I feel most at home, they seek out quiet and darkness and I could not relate more!

Thank you so much Cristina for this lovely interview!

Follow her on Instagram: @kaitlynintherain