Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Loryn Lilly.
Hi Kara Loryn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started taking photos since I was very little. It was the most exciting thing for me to go with my mom to the local Sam’s club to see how my film developed. There were usually random photos of my family members, pets, beanie baby displays and even a selfie or two (yes, we did those before the phone camera). However, I realized how special each photo, even the blurry ones, would become over time. I would cut my 4×6 prints into my handmade scrapbooks to create stories that I could look back on.
As I got older, it was apparent that I had a love for photography so I was gifted my first DSLR camera on my 18th birthday by a dear family friend, the late Ronald Wehman. That camera followed me into college where I documented all the memories I made especially with the Catholic Campus Ministry.
Shortly after I graduated, I was asked to photograph a mutual friend’s wedding. I didn’t feel qualified but they believed in me and I really felt called to serve the very sweet couple. From there, I would shoot a wedding 1-2 times a year while I was working my full-time job as a Catholic Youth Minister. That was until the year of Covid. Due to the pandemic, I had several engaged couples come to me in search for a last-minute wedding photographer. My heart went out to them and I was also so inspired by their commitment to getting married even in the uncertain times. I believed that they really deserved good wedding photography so I agreed to capture their big days. After years of treating photography as a side gig, I finally decided to make my business official and founded Kara Loryn Photography in 2021.
Today, I am proud to continue photographing beautiful weddings while also building out an elevated portrait photography experience for families.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the initial struggles in my business were finding a way to stand out in a very saturated market. My approach was to copy what everyone else was doing at first but eventually it led me to get very honest about what I wanted my business to look like and who I might best be able to serve. I realized that while there are incredible photographers in the DMV who do beautiful work, I had a unique perspective being Catholic and having worked in parish ministry. I knew after having experienced my own wedding day, that wedding photographers are one of the only vendors couples spend their entire day with. They are there for the most intimate moments and they are also there to capture the most meaningful parts of the day. For Catholic couples that means something a little different and I felt that I could offer something very special for them since I knew that firsthand.
The struggles that are closer to home these days, are navigating what it looks like to be a mother of 3 little ones while also running my business. In 2025, my son had a traumatic birth and spent 2 months in the NICU. I have wonderful colleagues and a team of associates who jumped in and helped me serve my clients as my family navigated one of the hardest seasons of our life. What was most inspiring for me at that time was the community of fellow wedding vendors that I’ve connected with in the past as well as all of my past and current clients who surrounded us in prayer and support. That was a moment that I felt my business was not just for the good of others but that I was also blessed by it and all the connections that I have been able to make over the years.
Nowadays, I continue to rely on the Lord, my incredible husband, John, and my very supportive family to help me keep going and build a business I am proud of.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a wedding and portrait photographer serving couples and families in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. While I have primarily specialized in Catholic weddings, I am currently working on further developing my portrait experience particularly for young families.
I would describe my unique style as natural, film-inspired, and documentary leaning. I’m drawn to timeless imagery over trends. As a Catholic-Christian photographer, I also see each wedding as a sacrament, not just an event, so I shoot with an eye for the quiet, sacred moments in between the big ones such as a father’s prayer before walking his daughter down the aisle or the couple whispering and smiling at each other during the ceremony.
I’m known for putting people at ease especially in the midst of stressful or complicated dynamics that weddings bring. I meet with couples multiple times before the wedding, pray for them in the lead-up, and treat the Mass with the same reverence they do. Technically, I’m known for handling difficult light (low-lit Catholic churches especially) without losing the beauty of the moment.
All of that said, what I’m most proud of is leading my business not just as a profession but as a ministry. I am proud to glorify God using my gifts in a way that highlights the beauty of humanity and His greatest creation.
I believe that’s what sets me apart. I photograph through the perspective of my faith which allows me to serve my couples in a way that they can trust will honor their own faith.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Funny story – when my husband and I were dating, he would often say, “I’m so lucky to have you.” I would then correct him and say, “You mean, you’re blessed.” Suffice to say, I am not a believer in luck! Since my faith leads everything, I truly believe that every direction in my life and business has been led by God.
In fact, when things don’t turn out as I planned or imagined, I firmly believe that God has something in there for me whether it is a better blessing or a way to help me grow into the woman I am meant to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karalorynphotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karalorynphotography/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karalorynphotography
