Life through a lens with Kate Green
Meet the photographer behind Initium’s brand launch…
At Initium, we like to work with clients, partners and suppliers who share our values and ethos. When it came to our brand launch in 2024, and commissioning the photography for this very website, Kate Green (kategreenphotog.com) was the perfect choice.
Entrepreneurial, focused on creating impact through her work, and – like us – a little bit different, Kate is an inspiring woman. A former recipient of a Prince’s Trust grant for her start-up horticultural business (Green Garden Services, of course!), Kate then enjoyed a successful but stressful corporate career. And then, at the age of 36 – with no prior professional experience or training – she reset her work, and her life, completely. Here’s her story:
“There I was in my mid-30s… development director for a project management company. I was good at it, and I did enjoy it for a time, but there was always a doubt at the back of my mind that it wasn’t ticking my boxes and making me feel fulfilled. I was working on transport systems and energy efficiency schemes with some very big clients. And with that came all the stress, and I started to see some impact on my health, and my self-worth. Losing sleep over ticketing systems didn’t do it for me. Life’s too short.
“I’m passionate about sharing the joy that I get from photography with other people. And photography is a fantastic medium”
Before I made the decision to quit, my body made it for me. I started suffering with panic attacks. I needed to take some time away from work, and during that time I reconnected with my photography, I’d always wanted to be a photographer. My photography got me through that tough time, because I was out in nature, I was walking, I was being creative.
I started to think, you know, this is what I want to do. I literally just got some business cards printed and Kate Green photography was born. I got my first job through somebody I knew, and then that came another job, and another job. My confidence in my ability was low, but the support I got from friends and family was incredible, pointing me in the right direction. And to be honest, I did a lot of stuff for free at the beginning, like all new business owners do!
I was fairly well connected and in my corporate career I’d spent years being good at thinking on my feet, dealing with all different walks of life and being able to communicate, being able to sell. The difference was now I was selling myself instead of a service. And that’s a completely different ball game!
Fast-forward 18 years or so, and I can’t describe the satisfaction I get from doing this. There’s a Latin phrase sequi somnia vestra, which means follow your dreams. And it sounds a little bit corny, but it’s something that from that point onwards I’ve lived my life by. Sometimes you have to do the bread-and-butter stuff, of course, but sometimes we can follow our dreams and do amazing things.
One of best things I did was I found a niche. Early on, I managed to make part of my work using photography and the practise of photography relate to the field of mental health and therapy. I run courses and training with a focus on mindfulness. It is said that depression is worrying about yesterday and anxiety is worrying about tomorrow. But when we’re in the moment, neither of those two things can exist. And that’s where I am when I’m taking pictures. I’m so in the moment.
I’m passionate about sharing the joy that I get from photography with other people. And photography is a fantastic medium. We’re all photographers because we’ve all got that camera in our pocket. I can teach anybody how to take a better picture with their phone. But in doing so, there’s a three-pronged approach. What I hope to do is to help people connect with themselves, each other and their environment.
My top tip for improving your photography? Slow down and enjoy the moment!
My top tip for improving your photography? We’re very trigger-happy with our cameras. I call it drive by shooting. “Oh! I’ll just take a quick picture of that!” But actually, the key is to pause and analyse why. Ask yourself, what is it that made me stop to do that, and how can I be in the moment just that little bit longer?
The outcomes aren’t important. It’s the doing. It’s that moment of recognition that you saw something beautiful, a bumblebee on a flower, or a piece of graffiti you love, anything really. So just slow down a little bit!
I have to say, working with you on your brand relaunch was fun. An unusual commission! You’re not a boring corporate at all. You were a joy to work with. When I came away from working with you guys, I couldn’t believe what a fantastic group of people you were. There wasn’t one person that I had to point the camera at that I didn’t enjoy that interaction with. So kudos to you, because I can see why you are good at what you do.”