Kathy Beaver Photography

Published on July 27, 2015
Written by Ray Access

Asheville-inspired businesswoman falls in love all over again.

As a wedding photographer, Kathy Beaver knows a little bit about love. She’s seen countless expressions of love and captured many of them through her lens. She also has first-hand experience with the subject — it’s safe to say she loves Western North Carolina and Asheville. And she knows the terrain around Asheville as well as she knows her camera.

Asheville Settings

She moved to the area when she was eight years old. Although she left for a while, she’s been back in WNC for the past 20-plus years. It was her upbringing in the mountains, as well as her artistic curiosity, that led her to take up photography. Asheville, with all its beauty and charm, inspired her.

Kathy, pictured to the right, captures people in local surroundings, either on the urban streets of Asheville or in the magical nature settings of WNC. She knows the best places for a photo shoot, and she’s always on the lookout for new spots to use. The location she chooses depends on her client, but her experience guides her to where the light sparkles between the peaks at sunset or where an unusual doorway or mural can frame a scene.

Technically, It’s Love

While Asheville has inspired her, it’s photography that has become her passion. Although her business is officially only about a year old, she’s been fooling around with cameras most of her life. She began studying photography seriously two years ago. She loves what she does and what she can do with the camera. She’s even taking up film photography — something she says is making a comeback.

Kathy brings an eye for getting the shot she wants to every job. Her black-and-white compositions stand out, but she says she enjoys shooting in both black-and-white and color. She shows samples of both on her website at KathyBeaverPhotography.com.

“It’s an artistic choice I make on a picture by picture basis,” she confides.

People Come First

All of her photos feature people, and it’s people she connects with. She loves getting to know her clients and relishes being able to tell their stories through pictures. For engagement photo shoots, for example, she lets the couple’s story tell her where she will take the pictures. Usually, it winds up being someplace creative and fun.

She takes her wedding jobs seriously. She says, “It’s an honor to be invited to be part of the day.”

In addition to weddings, Kathy captures families, high school seniors, and more. She does her best work with laid-back clients who love her attention to detail and aren’t afraid to mix it up a little. The results speak for themselves.

A Part-Time Passion

Kathy splits her time between her full-time job as a dental hygienist — so she knows smiles! — and her role as a mom to daughter Anna, who will be a sophomore at TC Roberson High School. She follows her photography passion part-time, mostly on the weekends. Given her work with the camera already, it may not be very long before she’s taking photos full-time.

To reach Kathy, you can call her at 828-712-2457, email her at [email protected] or contact her through her website. She loves talking about photography and what project you may have in store for her.