Meet Kristin McHugh

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristin McHugh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristin, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Finding your purpose in an over-saturated industry can be hard. It wasn’t until 2021 when I was burnt out and shooting everything that came my way. I sat down and I really thought about the type of clients I wanted to serve and which niches of photography brought my heart the most joy. I narrowed in on one word…LOVE. I wanted to capture love between two people through marriage and self love through boudoir. I am such a romantic and getting the honor of capturing real life fairytales was a dream come true. I love being a boudoir photographer because my mission to make women feel beautiful and comfortable in their own skin is the best reward.

Another way I found my purpose is being a stay at home mom. I aim to inspire my young daughter and any future children that she can be her own boss, that an artistic field CAN be a full time job, and you can be a present spouse and parent while owning a business.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a wedding, elopement & boudoir photographer (Kristin Lorraine Photography) based in the heart of Virginia Beach, Virginia but I will go anywhere photography takes me. I love telling peoples love stories through photos and capturing the empowering and healing experience that is boudoir.

I have a bright, vibrant and organic style of photography, focusing on candids & raw emotions. I do shoot on both digital and instant film cameras. On wedding & elopement days I bring my husband, Michael, with me as my second photographer, and drone operator. The drone always adds a really beautiful element to nuptials, and I have been incorporating that into wedding days for 2 years now.

I will be celebrating 10 years of business this December, but I have been photographing since I was about 11 years old. I was always bringing my camera with me whenever I was with my friends or out of the house in general.

I am currently working on a Boudoir Day Retreat “Shine Through” on Sept. 7, 2024 at Cape Charles Tiny Livin’ focusing on women empowerment, self love, and healing in a peaceful and secluded environment.

I will also be a featured vendor at the ACS Wedding & Bridal Expo in Virginia Beach on October 27, 2024. Not only will packages be on sale but I will be giving a full boudoir session away to one lucky bride!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three things that I think helped me early in my journey and still set me apart today were that: I was willing to be coachable and had a thirst for knowledge, and tried to absorb as much knowledge and info that I could.

I had passion for the craft and I was eager to capture anything that came my way – giving me some really cool cultural experiences as well.

And my ability to make people feel comfortable. I try to make my clients laugh and smile within the first 5 minutes of their session. I love to be silly & carefree, and my main goal is for the client to have fun. I crack jokes, I’m super clumsy, and I try to be as relatable and understanding as I can be. And if they are nervous, it only lasts til the first pose.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Their support. I am an only child, so, I was lucky that my parents have always been involved and invested.

They have always been interested in whatever I was interested in, what sport I wanted to try, and what was keeping me up at night. They always pushed me to persevere through the tough times. They would tell me I would feel so good once I reached the outcome.

They continue to support me in all my endeavors today and play an active role in business now, as our only child care our our sweet baby girl, while Michael and I are at weddings or elopements.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Kristin Lorraine Photography

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