22/05/2026
I founded Heartstory back in 2009, not long after I became a mum and realised that continuing life in the public service was not the right fit for my life. It was time to pursue my true purpose, which was creation and connection.
I’ve always been an artist, but didn’t figure it could be how I make a living until I birthed a chubby, smiley, needy little boy and went through the intense transformation of matrescence.
Heartstory has been through so many changes over the years.
First it was a part-time business that helped me find my feet as a professional photographer.
Then it became full-time and supported me through single mum life.
Then I met Jez and we decided to scale so we could run it together. We had to double-down on everything and it was an intense learning curve.
Then we fell pregnant and had to change everything again. We moved the business out of home and made our first hire.
Then came the bushfires of summer ’19/20, followed shortly by the pandemic, and like almost every other small business, we had a rough time. But we came back stronger than ever.
After that, things got really challenging. We had to update systems, software, pricing, policies. And our family was changing too, so we restructured and hired more staff to create balance. And that doesn’t even bring us to present day!
Running a photography business can be really satisfying: the relationships, creating art, being paid to play with kids and lock eyes with babies. But it can also be incredibly hard. You need adaptability, no ego, a thick skin, a lot of energy, a huge range of skills and you’ve got to really, really love it, because literally noone is doing it for the money!
Heartstory feels like one of my children. The one I never physically birthed, but in a way I did. I’ve poured 18 years of my life into it and it’s a part of my identity.
👉If you’ve been a client and loved your photos or experience, please drop a line below, or leave us a review on Google or Facebook. Your kind words would literally mean the world to me right now.❤️
Katie xo
📸 pics from long, long ago
