Katrina's Story

About Katrina

In the beginning…

I was your typical little bush kid who loved searching for stones, playing with the menagerie of farm animals, helping dad in the yard or mustering on the motor bikes. Thankfully I have married a wonderful cook as was a bit of a tomboy and never really spent much time in the kitchen.

We spent till grade 3 on a property just outside Tambo , then grade 4 till grade 9 between Bollon and Mitchell where our ever patient Mum taught us . We were School of The Air kids!!! Then grade 9 till 12 was spent on another property outside Aramac.

Lots of long bus trips to boarding school, do not miss those at all.

When I finished high school in Toowoomba and not being entirely sure of what I wanted to be when - and if - I ever grew up I decided to set sail for the motherland hoping to figure it all out.

To cut a long story short, after an amazing two years of traveling through Europe and working as a nanny in London I returned to Australia for my brother’s wedding. Still not sure what I wanted to do…I decided to chat with a careers advisor (I know what you’re thinking - how daggy). It made me decide that I wanted to go to Queensland College of Art to study photography. I knew then that I wanted to be a family photographer.

I spent the next four years rushing between full-time work and study, often until late in the night, but I knew that this was what I wanted to do! In my final year of study I married my best friend Andy.

The next stage in my life was starting my business and having babies – at the same time! In 1996 Katrina Christ Photographer, was born!. The challenge of balance between starting a business and family was tricky, thank god for wonderful husbands.

In 2001 when my oldest girl Isabella was four and Marianne was one I decided to really give the business a proper go. By this stage I had decided to specialise in family portraiture. All of my blood, sweat and tears paid off because the business took off.

Six years ago I had another gorgeous girl Cameron and along with our dog Millie our family is complete.

13 years on, I have my successful family portrait photography business in a beautiful East Brisbane studio with my fabulous staff (Who you can read all about) plus two other franchised studios interstate.

Three yrs ago we set up a family portrait photography studio in Hawthorn, Melbourne which is owned and managed by Nami Clarke who was my studio manager here in Brisbane for two years.

We now have a studio in the Upper North Shore area of Sydney which has been running for 2 years  and is owned by the lovely Bec Hannaford.

My challenge through all of this has been to maintain the work/life balance; isn’t that everyone’s ambition these days? I work four days a week so that I can have one day a week to just be a mummy and spend time with Andy and the girls, and now my nephew and brand new neice Amalie, and squeeze a bit of tennis in.

So as you can see, for me life is great.

My goals for 2009 are to spend more time playing with my girls, to play more hockey (which I am loving, although twenty years ago playing I didn’t bruise quite so easily) going on more dates with my husband Andy, spending more time with family and friends. And maybe a few more family portrait photography studios too.

Thank you Thank you Thank you to all my gorgeous family and friends and a special thank you to my sensational team, love you lots!

Katrina X

Brisbane studio of Katrina Christ Photographer - the home of beautiful family portrait photography