Ready to get over your photo envy?
The key to loving your pictures is
finding the right photographer for YOU!
One Photographer, Two Brands
I am Terri Burke, a photographer based in Lewisville, NC with two brands. The obvious question is why two brands?
The short answer is that each is designed to help women love their pictures in distinct ways while allowing me to show them how without distraction.
Catch a Spark Photography came first as a way to help my fellow mom get pictures of her children (or pets, which count as kids in my book!) and find ways to enjoy them, along with the smiles they bring, on a daily basis. Yup, that means they need to be printed, a too-often-lost aspect of the art of photography in our increasingly digital world.
As I built that business and my entrepreneurial network expanded, I realized I was uniquely positioned (keep reading to learn why!) to help my fellow female entrepreneur with the images she needs to engage her audience effectively, especially if she is posting regularly in social media.
I created Catch Your Spark Images to address her need for a steady stream of on-brand, digital photographs with nearly unlimited commercial usage and to share my expertise as she builds out a team to support her ongoing growth.
{My biggest fear was} that the kids wouldn’t cooperate and we wouldn’t get genuine images with real smiles. Terri was so good at capturing the right moments… the actual photos blew me away.
— Cass
You will probably recognize parts of my story in your own.
These days, I often play a master juggler, with colorful pins of dinner and grocery lists and papers to sign flying through the air. Loving my family of six (yes, I counted my two furry kids!) comes with the joy—and challenge—of all the proliferating tiny tasks that move our life forward.
Not long ago though, you would have found me 18 years into an advertising career, helping companies like Audi and Lands’ End project their messages. It was an addicting job, and I worked my way to the highest of teams—but it required long hours and time away from home.
Photo credit: Rachel Garrison of
Tamara Lackey Photography
Photo credit: Jeanie Adams-Smith
I left advertising to gain more time with my family. But I found that time has a way of getting swallowed in ‘urgent’ things at home, too. While I’m keeping those pins in the air, my children and my dogs are growing. Their arms lengthen, their activities change, and it’s not long before that one delightful little quirk or way of connecting is gone. I work hard to find ways to give the juggling a rest to be fully there with them, and enjoy myself. One of these ways is through photography.
When I left my advertising career, I realized that I still needed to exercise the creative part of my brain. I had my own darkroom in high school, and photography was a way to express myself and remember moments I never want to forget. One of those moments - a shot from my South African honeymoon - ended up winning a grand prize in a National Geographic Traveler Magazine contest and a place in their calendar. And, a favorite image of my daughter was selected to grace a book cover for Popular Photography’s How to Photograph Everything.
But what I really love doing is helping women set down the tasks that keep their minds spinning and create the space they need to be fully present in the moment (without worrying about how the pictures will turn out).
Photo credit: Sally Gupton Photography
For many, that space is making time to be with family. Creating a photo experience that isn’t just another task in the rotation, but a chance to be fully there with your kids - whether they run on paws or shoes. And not just spend that time but keep those memories in a way that you always have them. I love photographing my family, and I’ll love photographing yours.
When a house fire damaged most of my belongings in 2012, I learned quickly what is of value and what isn’t. I also learned - unfortunately - which types of photos are easy to repair and clean and which aren’t. (Want to know why I suggest printing images on metal, canvas and acrylic? Ask me! It has nothing to do with trends.) When you work with me, you know your memories are in experienced hands, and we’ll work together to protect them.
While entrepreneurs don’t need printed heirlooms, they still need to find that space to step back from the day to day hustle. After spending more than a decade building my business, I know too well the challenge of wearing all the hats and juggling all the things. It isn't easy to see the stories that need to be told and it’s even harder to photograph them—selfies or handing your smartphone to your husband, friend or child can only get you so far. One of the greatest challenge an entrepreneur faces is recognizing when it is time to get help.
Photo credit: Kristin Deavers Photography
Terri is very special, a rare blend of artist, authentic, and accomplished. She is very easy to be with, and sets you at ease for your photo session.
—Shirley
Let’s Get Started
I’m here to be your friend and ally, to listen to your ideas, to provide some of my own, and to create the kind of pause in your life that you’ll never regret taking. That’s my work. That’s our work. I’d love to begin, together.
