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Katie Kolenberg - APP M.Photog - 2015 AIPP Australian Family Photographer of the Year

"Winning this award is the most incredible thing that has happened to me in my career, and the fact that my partner in life and business was also a finalist is unbelievably good! I've only been a professional photographer for six years, and I took a massive leap of faith to follow my dreams and change professions in my thirties. I have overcome some huge hurdles to reach this point, but I am ridiculously committed and passionate about my craft and the significance photography can have in every day families lives, and this award is the best proof I've ever had that following your heart always pays off."

Katie Kolenberg is based in Canberra and specialises in outdoors family portrait photography.  Katie founded her business Heartstory in 2009 and it is now a joint operation with her partner Jeremy Byrnes. Prior to professional photography, Katie had a career in graphic design.

In 2015, Katie was a finalist for both AIPP ACT Family Photographer of the Year, and AIPP ACT Wedding Photographer of the Year. In 2014, she won the family category for the first time, as well as ACT Highest Scoring Print, and was a finalist for AIPP ACT Illustrative Photographer of the Year. She has also been a finalist in the Head On Portrait Prize, a semi-finalist in the Moran Photographic Prize, and a category winner in ACMP Projections. She was AIPP ACT Emerging Photographer of the Year in 2010 and runner up AIPP ACT Family Photographer of the Year in 2012. She’s been awarded for every image entered in APPA each year since 2010, and is an AIPP Master of Photography.

Katie has been entering the awards for 6 years

Image credit Katie Kolenberg - Image credit David Edmondson - Click on each image to see what inspired Katie to capture these images 

www.heartstoryphotography.com.au
www.facebook.com/heartstory
www.instagram/heartstoryphotography

Katie Kolenberg APP M.Photog - These frames were captured right at the end of a particularly challenging session in a client's home. Directing a portrait session with three children under five is something most family photographers will have faced. But instead of making the children behave like something they're not, I set them up and waited to see what would happen. I feel particularly passionate about doing this, and have only ever received positive feedback from parents regarding images like this.
Katie Kolenberg APP M.Photog - This is a composite of 12 images of the reflection of two siblings playing next to a dam on their family property just outside Canberra. I positioned them across the water, and then encouraged them to play with each other, run around, show their coolest dance moves and just generally muck around. The resulting image is quirky and illustrative making them look like little cartoon characters.
Katie Kolenberg APP M.Photog - We call this little girl 'Kissy Face'. She was photographed in our home studio. The first thing her mum did when they arrived for their family portrait session was apologise for her daughter's lopsided pigtails. But all I saw was the potential for a truly adorable baby portrait.
Katie Kolenberg APP M.Photog - This is a composite of 12 images of the reflection of two siblings playing next to a dam on their family property just outside Canberra. I positioned them across the water, and then encouraged them to play with each other, run around, show their coolest dance moves and just generally muck around. The resulting image is quirky and illustrative making them look like little cartoon characters.