Meet Caitlin Trainer | Family portrait photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlin Trainer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
For me, defining success has changed a lot throughout the years. Before having a family, success was saying yes to any photography opportunity. Seeing a full calendar, 7 days a week felt successful.

Now that I’m married and we have three boys, success lies in the balance of home life and work. I no longer take weekend bookings and I don’t travel further than an hour for sessions.

Success is keeping my passion for photography all while having the time to make memories with my family and take care of myself as well!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a lifestyle family photographer who focuses a lot on milestone sessions (maternity-one year). What does lifestyle mean when you see that title? It means all the chaos, the mundane moments and everything in between are always welcome during a session with me!

I’m a mother to three boys and happily married. Life is constant in our household and the energy is always high!
Because of my boys, my outlook on family sessions has evolved so much throughout the year. I welcome the chaos with more of an open mind and honestly invite families to just play and be together.

My ability to connect with kids seems to be my photography superpower!

I’m excited to really dive into mentoring other photographers and sharing my passion for what I do. I truly believe this industry should be about connecting with other artists and forget about competition!

I originally went to college as a photojournalism major but decided to change my major my junior year. But I was sure to never give up on my artistic background. I photographed family and friends at very low costs and began to build a portfolio. Year after year I grew and became full time several years ago!

Some lessons I learned along the way…
1. To get started you’ll find yourself saying YES to everything! But as you find your niche and really hone in on your craft, you can set boundaries and really tailor your business to your personal needs!
2. Be open to failure and hard seasons because that’s where you’ll grow most. It’s easy to feel burnt out and let the noise of social media take over, but it says a lot when you recognize this and can take a step back to breathe and slow down. It’s ok to say NO!

I hope the world sees the love, connection and playfulness in my imagery. I love what I do and I hope that shines through!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Ok I’m going to be completely honest… I’m such a homebody, but I do love going back to the town where my husband and I first met and went to college!

Uptown Westerville is so lovely and growing so much! I would first start by getting a mint iced coffee and brunch at Northstar then we could walk around town hit some of the shops like Edwin & Loy and Stone & Sparrow apparel. Then get a little midday treat at Greaters and then walk around campus. Once it was dinner time we would eat at my favorite Thai spot The Thai Grille.

After dinner we could get a couple drinks a Highbanks Distillery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been so blessed to have a big support team! From my mom and sister, to my husband and boys. My family takes the time to cheer me on and support me daily!

I’m also lucky enough to be apart of a photography community that focuses more on support vs competition.

I have gained many friendships and mentors along my journey. To name a few Allison, of Kismet Visuals, Ramsey Baker, of Ramsey Baker Photography, and Megan Seiffert of Megan Kylie Photography.

These creative women have been sounding boards, cheerleaders and mentors to me and I can’t thank them enough!

Website: https://www.caitrosephotography.com

Instagram: @caitrosephotography