Meet Katy McAvoy | Food and Drink Photographer and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katy McAvoy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katy, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Working for myself at home – as opposed to in a traditional office setting – has completely shifted my work-life balance. Being able to work any hours I want, when I want, has afforded me the opportunity to be more engaged with my daughter, volunteer at her school, prioritize my health, and pause whenever I need to during the day. Sometimes it’s for a few minutes to catch up on household work. Sometimes it’s for a two hour lunch with friends.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It’s taken me 15 years to turn my photography into a career, in large part because it took me almost that long to find my niche. I didn’t understand that just because I could do something didn’t mean I should actually do it. Can I successfully shoot at wedding? Yes. Family photos? Yes. Company headshots? Yes. But none of those jobs made me excited. They were just something I could do. Food and drink photography came along in 2020 when we were all spending so much time at home. Pretty quickly I knew it was something I was excited about. Taking food and drink specific photography classes, learning food styling, completely changing the equipment I had – it all lead to me finding the photography subject I’m the most passionate about and producing my best work.

Comparison may be the thief of joy, but you can use that urge to look at someone else and say “I’m not as good as them” and instead ask “what can I learn from their work?” What is it about that person’s work that you like? The style? The lighting? The mood they set? The props they used? The way it makes you feel? If you seek out others’ work as inspiration instead of a moment of “they’re better than me” comparison, you’ll start learning what you like to see in art and begin to use those elements in your own work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Grand Rapids has amazing festivals and events downtown, which would definitely be on the agenda. As would trips to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and the Lake Michigan shoreline. San Chez Bistro, Lantern Coffeehouse, Side Bar, Max’s Tiki would all be on the menu for the week. We also have lots of amazing breweries in Beer City with delicious food and brews. I would definitely take my BFF to Mitten Brewing, Third Nature Brewing, and Founders Brewing. There’s so much fun shopping in the Grand Rapids area as well – I love checking out the great boutiques downtown, on Wealthy Street, and in smaller cities around the area like Rockford, Ada, and Holland.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is to my Mastermind ladies. The six of us do similar work in six different cities in six different states. But with Slack and monthly Zoom meetings, we’re constantly connecting, problem solving, and collaborating. They are such a source of joy and encouragement for me.

Website: https://mittengirl.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katymcavoy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mittengirl

Other: My Cocktail Book: https://buy.stripe.com/aEU5lA8YP5jMbEQeUU

Image Credits
Photo credit: Katy McAvoy