Hello there, thank you for visiting MapleBee Photography!  My name is Kate.  I have had a passion for art from a very young age.   I am the mother of two spirited toddlers and have three fur babies.  I am drawn to portrait photography; it serves as therapy and sustenance for the soul to capture a unique, genuine, and timeless image.

Utilizing a blend of lifestyle, environmental and candid portrait styles, I strive to capture captivating images that convey something about the subject’s identity, personality, mood, or story. This can feel more casual at times, or can feel more posed.  Images are taken in real life settings, either indoors or outdoors, and may be artificially or naturally lit.  My personal photographic style is characterized by rich colors and moody shadows with minimal processing.  

“God creates the beauty. My camera and I are a witness.”

– Mark Denman

I grew up on a farm in Elma, WA; a country kid loving hiking and gardening. From 1999-2002, I studied Fine Art with an emphasis in 2D media. Being that it was the very first days of digital cameras and Photoshop, I had an old school SLR camera. Countless hours were spent painstakingly developing film and manipulating photos in the dark room. I was the darkroom assistant for the final two years of the completion of my Bachelor’s Degree.  A few years later, I sold my camera kit to make way for another adventure in the stepping-stones of my life.

Throughout my travels, whether it be taking classes in Paris or Germany, sailing the ocean, flying a paraglider, or riding my bike, I continued to make art in several different forms over the years, including: oil paint, acrylic paint, drawing, multimedia, fabric dying, leather dying, hobby photography, and quilting.

Settling back local to my hometown in Western Washington, married life with dogs and kids has offered me an opportunity to return to a more formal photographic journey, I emerged in search of a little sweetness.  I give you MapleBee Photography; I make sweet little portraits. – Kate, 2023