Talking Shop with Kate McCord: What Life Really Looks Like for a Newborn and Family Photographer in Central Pennsylvania

There is something oddly comforting about hearing how another photographer runs their business.

Not because you’re trying to copy them. Not because you need a new strategy. Just because sometimes, especially during busy season, it feels good to peek behind the curtain and remember that everyone is figuring it out in their own way.

That’s exactly what this conversation with Kate McCord is.

Kate is a newborn and family photographer based near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, serving a mix of smaller surrounding markets like York, Lancaster, Hershey, and beyond. In this first episode of my new Talking Shop series, we got into the real stuff: pricing, mini sessions, SEO, studio life, ADHD, proofing galleries, creative comparison, and what it actually takes to build a successful photography business that fits your life.

And honestly, it was one of those conversations that felt like chatting with someone I’d known forever.

Meet Kate McCord

Kate has been in business since 2019 and specializes in newborn and family photography. She photographs both posed studio newborn sessions and warm, relaxed family sessions that feel more lifestyle than posed.

What stood out to me right away was how self-aware she is about her work, her business, and the constant pressure photographers feel to chase what everyone else is doing.

At one point, Kate shared that she recently had a bit of an epiphany. She realized she had spent too much time trying to measure herself against photographers in the luxury space and finally came back to what actually feels right for her.

Not the gowns. Not the all-white everything. Not the pressure to become a version of a photographer she isn’t.

Just comfortable, homey photos that feel good.

That alone is refreshing.

The trap of comparing yourself to other photographers

One of the biggest threads in our conversation was how easy it is to get pulled into the bright shiny object cycle in this industry.

You see photographers saying their mini sessions sold out in five minutes. You see people claiming they’re booked years in advance. You see polished branding, perfectly curated work, and a whole lot of tip-of-the-iceberg storytelling.

And if you’re not careful, you start to believe everyone else has some secret formula you missed.

Kate talked openly about how hard that can be, and how much peace she found when she stopped trying to chase someone else’s version of success.

That part of the conversation felt especially important because so many photographers need that reminder. Not every successful business has to look luxurious. Not every photographer has to build the same brand. Not every pivot is necessary.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stay in your lane and get better at being more you.

A real conversation about ADHD and business ownership

This part of the episode was very much my love language.

Kate and I both talked about ADHD, what it looks like as a business owner, and the weird mix of freedom and chaos that comes with being self-employed.

Because yes, being your own boss is amazing.

You can set your own schedule. You can pick your kids up from school. You can build your work around your life.

But you also have to remember to pay the rent, track your money, do your taxes, stay organized, follow up with people, and somehow function like a real grown-up.

Rude, honestly.

Kate shared that she was diagnosed young, while I was diagnosed much later, and it made for a really honest conversation about what it looks like to be a creative overachiever whose executive functioning is… let’s just say not always thriving.

If you’re a photographer with ADHD, this part will feel extremely familiar.

How Kate gets her best clients

One of the most interesting parts of the episode was hearing where Kate’s inquiries actually come from.

Spoiler: not Instagram.

Kate said Google is one of the biggest drivers of her business, and that her best paying clients are usually finding her through SEO and her website, not social media.

That tracks with what I see too.

Social media can absolutely help people find you, but it’s often passive. They stumble across you. They happen to see your work. They might remember your name later.

Google is different.

People who find you there are actively looking. They’re searching for a newborn photographer. They need family photos. They’re ready to book. And those leads tend to be stronger.

Kate was also a great reminder that your website and your email list are still the only things you truly own. Facebook and Instagram can disappear, glitch, get hacked, or shift the rules at any moment.

That’s why SEO matters, even if blogging feels boring or easy to procrastinate.

Her pricing model and why it works

Kate photographs in a middle market area, and her approach to pricing was really interesting.

She uses digital collections and has found that, for her clients, a lower barrier to entry often works better than starting too high. Many of her clients upgrade after seeing their images, so she’s created a model that feels accessible up front but still increases average sales on the back end.

We also talked about one of my favorite topics: the myth that photographers charging very low prices are doing it because “everyone deserves beautiful photos.”

I’ll be honest, that line still makes me twitch a little.

As we talked about in the episode, what’s often really going on is not generosity. It’s discomfort with the realities of running a business legally, sustainably, and profitably. It’s avoiding the hard part of pricing. It’s ignoring expenses, taxes, time, and burnout.

Kate had a great perspective on this, especially because she’s seen local photographers charge very little while also clearly struggling under the weight of too much work, too many edits, and clients who don’t respect boundaries.

It was a good reminder that pricing affects much more than income. It often shapes your client experience too.

Mini sessions, but make them profitable

Kate does a lot of mini sessions, and unlike many photographers, she’s built them into a strong part of her business.

She runs them like a volume model. Her sessions are short, efficient, and intentionally structured. She offers a small number of images up front and gives clients the option to upgrade later.

One thing I found especially interesting was that she sends proofing galleries before fully editing everything. She culls first, does only minimal prep, and lets clients choose from there. Then she edits what they actually purchase.

That alone saves an incredible amount of time.

She also shared that her fall and spring minis are simply abbreviated versions of her regular family sessions, while Christmas is more themed and more of a production. But even there, she’s become more thoughtful about overhead, trends, and whether buying all new setups every year is actually necessary.

If you’ve ever wondered how another photographer is structuring profitable mini sessions without losing their mind, this part of the episode is worth hearing.

What she loves about newborn photography

Kate started with lifestyle newborn work and later learned posed newborn photography through hands-on mentorship. Now she does both.

I loved hearing her talk about this shift because it wasn’t driven by trends. It came from curiosity and wanting a new challenge once she had become more comfortable in her original lane.

Her newborn work is simple and focused. No over-the-top props. No baby riding an elephant. Just beautiful, classic imagery centered on the baby.

She also talked about the ongoing learning curve with lighting, editing, and baby skin tones, and I appreciated how honest she was about continuing to invest in education. Even as a successful photographer making multiple six figures, she still wants to improve.

That’s such a common thread with photographers who stay in this industry and do well. They don’t assume they know everything. They keep refining.

Why this conversation matters

This episode is not a how-to.

It’s not a strategy lesson or a five-step formula.

It’s just a really honest conversation about what it looks like to build a photography business as a real person with kids, distractions, insecurities, strengths, ambition, and a very full life.

That’s the point of this series.

I wanted to create something photographers could listen to during busy season that feels entertaining, validating, and a little bit inspiring without asking anything of them. No huge call to action. No pressure to go overhaul your business. Just the chance to hear how someone else is doing it and maybe feel a little less alone in your own version of this work.

Kate was the perfect person to kick it off.

Listen to the full episode

If you want to hear the full conversation with Kate McCord, you can listen to the episode on the podcast now.

We talk about:

• building a newborn and family photography business in a middle market area

• how comparison sneaks into creative work

• ADHD and business ownership

• why SEO matters more than most photographers think

• pricing, mini sessions, and proofing galleries

• the reality of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship

• gear, lighting, studio workflow, and more