Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate McCord.
Hi Kate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been the kid with a camera in her hands. I got my first digital camera for my 12th birthday and I was constantly taking photos of everything.
However, I really got into photography again later in life. I got married, started a family, and eventually found myself navigating infertility and IVF. When my husband and I finally welcomed our first child, I became obsessed with documenting every little detail. I quickly realized just how fleeting these seasons of life are and how much photographs matter once the moments have passed.
What started as photographing my own children grew into photographing friends and family, and before long, word began to spread. In July of 2019, after photographing a friend’s Fresh 48 session for her son, I officially launched Kate McCord Photography.
Over the years, the business has grown far beyond anything I imagined. I’ve had the privilege of photographing hundreds of families throughout Central Pennsylvania, documenting everything from pregnancy and newborn days to first birthdays, family milestones, and even welcoming second and third babies. One of the greatest honors is when families continue coming back year after year and trust me to preserve their memories as their children grow.
Today, I specialize primarily in maternity, newborn, and family photography. My focus has always been creating a stress-free experience for parents while producing timeless images that become part of a family’s story. I believe photographs are one of the few things that become more valuable with time. Long after the sleepless nights, tiny baby fingers, missing teeth, and childhood giggles are gone, the photographs remain.
Building this business has allowed me to combine my love for art, storytelling, and connection with people. It has also given me the opportunity to create a career that lets me be present for my own family while helping other families hold onto the moments that matter most.
Looking back, what started as a hobby and a love of documenting my own life has become a career that I truly can’t imagine doing anything else. Every family who steps in front of my camera becomes part of that story, and I feel incredibly grateful for that.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. While I’m incredibly grateful for where the business is today, there were plenty of challenges along the way.
I started my business while raising a baby, which meant learning how to build a company during nap times, late nights, and every spare moment in between. As our family grew to include three children, one of the biggest challenges has always been balancing entrepreneurship with being the kind of present, involved mom I wanted to be.
Like many small business owners, COVID brought an entirely new set of obstacles. Sessions were canceled, uncertainty was everywhere, and I had to learn how to adapt quickly while still serving my clients and supporting my family.
For several years, I also balanced a growing photography business alongside a full-time work-from-home job. There were seasons where I was essentially working two full-time careers while raising young children. It was exhausting at times, but I believed in what I was building and kept taking the next step forward.
One of the biggest leaps of faith was eventually leaving the security of my full-time job to pursue photography full-time. That transition was exciting, but also terrifying. Suddenly, the success of the business wasn’t supplemental income anymore. It was responsible for helping support my family.
Looking back, every challenge taught me something valuable. It forced me to become more resilient, more adaptable, and more intentional about how I spend my time. Building a successful business while raising a family hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a portrait photographer specializing in maternity, newborn, baby, and family photography throughout Central Pennsylvania. While I photograph many different milestones, my passion has always been documenting the journey into and through motherhood. From pregnancy announcements and maternity sessions to newborn photos, first birthdays, and annual family portraits, I love helping families preserve the moments that pass by far too quickly.
Over the years, I’ve become known for creating a stress-free, full-service experience for busy parents. I provide styling assistance, access to a client wardrobe, newborn props and accessories, and guidance every step of the way so families can simply show up and enjoy the experience. My goal is to make professional photography feel easy and approachable while delivering images that families will treasure for generations.
What I’m most proud of is the trust my clients place in me. Many of the families I photograph return year after year, allowing me to document their stories as they grow. There is something incredibly special about photographing a couple’s first newborn and then years later capturing that same child becoming a big brother or sister. Those long-term relationships mean more to me than any award or recognition ever could.
That said, I am proud to have earned recognition within the photography industry, including being named a Master Photographer in the newborn and family categories through the National Association of Portrait and Child Photographers and being voted a favorite family photographer by local families in Central Pennsylvania.
What sets me apart is that I understand firsthand how quickly these seasons pass. As a mom of three, I know the chaos, the sleepless nights, the overflowing schedules, and the feeling that time is moving far too fast. Because of that, I approach every session not just as a photographer, but as a parent who understands the value of preserving these memories. My focus isn’t simply creating beautiful photographs. It’s creating images that bring families back to a feeling, a season of life, and a story they’ll want to remember forever.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
If I had to choose one quality that has contributed most to my success, it would be tenacity.
Talent is important, but talent alone doesn’t build a business. There have been countless moments over the years where things would have been easier if I had simply given up or settled for where I was. Instead, I’ve always been willing to keep learning, keep improving, and keep showing up even when things felt difficult or uncertain.
Hard work has been a huge part of my journey. Building a business while raising three children, working a full-time job, and navigating all of life’s unexpected challenges required a lot of long nights and early mornings. There were seasons when progress felt slow, but I kept moving forward one step at a time.
I think success comes from being willing to do the unglamorous work behind the scenes. The consistency, perseverance, and determination to keep going when nobody is watching are what ultimately create results. Photography is my passion, but hard work and tenacity are what turned that passion into a sustainable business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katemccordphotography.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/katemccordphotography
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/katemccordphotography
