Kate Preftakes Photography

10/29/2026

I have dreamed about going to Africa for as long as I can remember. Something about the wide open landscapes, the wildlife, the light, and the idea of being out on safari has always fascinated me.
Luckily, my daughter Beatrix shares my love of animals and adventure. We’ve always joked about having our own zoo someday, so it’s probably no surprise that she’s been dreaming about this trip right along with me.
With my 50th birthday coming up and Bea turning 15 just a few days before, it felt like the perfect time to make this happen! We’ve been calling it our “Big Five” trip.

On Friday we’re heading to Cape Town and then Botswana for a safari. I can’t believe it’s actually happening.

I am so excited to photograph a completely different landscape and share this adventure with my best girl! 💛

Stay tuned as I do my best to share our experiences.

10/28/2026

Colorado, you will always have my heart. 🤍

A little collection of my favorite moments from my recent portrait sessions in Denver. So wonderful to reconnect with beautiful families I know and lots of new ones! I love this annual tradition.

10/25/2026

Looking for a couple of cute 12 month olds for an upcoming shoot! Please message me if you are interested or know somebody that might be!

10/12/2026

Heading home after a wonderful long weekend in Colorado photographing so many beautiful families. I am so grateful that I get the opportunity to witness and photograph so many lovely families as they grow over the years.

And while I’ve been away, these film scans came back from a recent family session in New Hampshire.

I love a beautiful family portrait, but it’s often the little in-between moments that end up being my favorites. The kind of moments that don’t seem extraordinary until you look back in them years later.

And there’s something about seeing them on film that makes me love them even more. 🤍

09/29/2026

I learned photography in a darkroom. First when I was young and in high school and then later in my art school years in Chicago. There was something so magical about standing in the red light watching an image slowly appear in a tray of developer.
Photography was slower then. You had to really take the time to think about the light and composition before pressing the shutter. I think that way of working has always stayed with me.
It’s part of the reason I still love shooting film so much. Even when I’m shooting digital, I’m looking for those little unplanned moments and taking the time to frame them intentionally. I want them to make beautiful photographs, but also want to keep the photos real and true to the people in them.
Unstaged but still considered.
More than 30 years later, I am still chasing that darkroom magic.

09/22/2026

There is so much about those first few weeks that you think you’ll remember forever. The tiny feet, the fuzzy hair, the sleepy stretches and the way they curl up against you. And somehow they seem to change overnight.
This is why I love photographing newborns in such a simple, natural way. I want to preserve all the beautiful little details exactly as they are right now— and the way it feels to hold this tiny new person in your arms.

There really is no perfect time to be photographed. There is just this time. And it goes so very quickly.
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09/13/2026

Wedding dreams look like this! Kasaf and Bennett were married in Vermont at the groom’s parent’s home. Kasaf’s love of pink and gardening found its way into every part of this day—soft pinks throughout the wedding party, garden-inspired florals, and tables filled with flowers by Flora Vita | VT Wedding & Event Florist that felt perfectly at home among the fields surrounding the property.

They gathered everyone they love in the Vermont countryside, with mountains in the distance, dinner under the tent, and an incredible open fire meal prepared by Farm to Fire catering Farm to Fire

Perfectly planned by Jaclyn Watson Events | Wedding Planner, it was colorful and romantic, but also wonderfully relaxed and personal—the kind of wedding that could only have happened here, for these two.

Kasaf Shah-Cole
Jaclyn Watson Events | Wedding Planner
New England Fine Art Photographer
Flora Vita | VT Wedding & Event Florist
Farm to Fire

09/08/2026

The weather is going to be beautiful on the seacoast this weekend! Still a couple of spots available for my mini sessions. Join us!

Join me at the scenic Odiorne State Park for beach mini sessions! Each session is 20 minutes long and will include a variety of backgrounds and poses, an online gallery to view the images, and one 5x7" print of your choice. Additional prints and products can be purchased separately.

09/02/2026

Elizabeth & Dan at The Fells 🤍

The kind of late summer day that makes New England weddings so special. Beautiful light, gardens in bloom, views over Lake Sunapee, and so many thoughtful details woven throughout the day.
Here are just a few favorites from their beautiful wedding day!

Wedding Planner | New England
Allioops! Flowers & Gifts
John Hay Estate at The Fells
Liz Castle

08/20/2026

Help Tell the Story of Kate Preftakes Photography 🤍

I’m looking for a few families to be part of something special!

On Friday, September 25th at 4:30 PM, I’ll be working with a professional video production team to create a new brand film that gives families a glimpse into what it’s really like to have a session with me—the laughter, movement, connection, and all of those little in-between moments I love to capture.

I’m looking for families who are available that afternoon and would love to be part of the project.

Selected families will receive a complimentary family portrait session AND the full gallery of professionally edited high-resolution images.

Because we’ll be creating photography and video for my website, social media, and advertising, participating families must be:

• Available September 25th at 4:30 PM
• Comfortable being photographed and professionally filmed
• Willing to sign a photo + video model release for everyone participating
• Comfortable wearing clothing selected or approved by me so everything photographs beautifully and fits the overall vision

Most importantly, I’m looking for families who are ready to relax, play with their kids, love on each other and let me capture what makes their family them.

If your family would love to be considered, please fill out this short application.

https://forms.gle/KdyLKDRGFjzdor3q7

This is not first-come, first-served—I’ll be selecting families based on the needs and overall vision of the project.

Thank you for trusting me to preserve your family’s precious memories! 💕