Photography Was Always Waiting for Me - From Finance to Photography (and Everything in Between)
If we were having coffee together (black, obviously ☕), here are a few things you’d probably learn about me pretty quickly.
I was born and raised in Poland 🇵🇱 — yes, that’s where my accent comes from. I’ve been living abroad for 13 years now, but some things never disappear. I’m an only child, which means I truly enjoy my own company… but I also love being around people. Turns out, that balance is perfect for a photographer.
What surprises most people? I didn’t study photography first. I graduated from a Technical University with a master’s degree after five years of studying, fully convinced I’d end up in finance. And I did. I worked as a financial analyst, solving numbers all day — which I secretly still enjoy. My kids, however, are not fans when I “help” with math homework. 😅
Before photography became my profession, it was always quietly present in my life. On vacations, I was that person — arranging shots, adjusting angles, staging moments (spontaneous, but make it controlled 😄). My real love affair with photography began when I brought my first analog SLR camera back from the USA after a Work & Travel program. Back then, owning a camera like that felt huge. Film, manual settings, no previews — just trust and patience.
Still, I believed photography would remain a hobby. Where I grew up, you were supposed to choose a profession, not a passion. Photography school wasn’t even a concept. People didn’t make a living with cameras — at least not in my world.
Everything changed when I moved to the Netherlands.
That move opened something in me. It showed me that I didn’t have to stay in finance forever, that I could build a career around creativity. I didn’t switch overnight — but for the first time, I allowed myself to think: what if?
And no — it wasn’t motherhood that made me pick up a camera. Photography was always there. Waiting. Patient. I just needed the courage to listen, finally.
From Amsterdam to London to the USA – My Photography Journey 🌍
Becoming a professional photographer isn’t just about pretty pictures (or drinking too much coffee during editing sessions ☕). For me, it’s been years of education, experimentation, and learning the hard way.
I started in Amsterdam at theFOTOfactory, where I fell deeply in love with analog photography. Real film. Real darkroom work. That magical moment when an image slowly appears… and your patience slowly disappears. 😂
Later, I studied at the British Academy of Photography in London, balancing weekly commutes, assignments, and life. That’s where I truly learned to see light, composition, and storytelling — and where I understood that photography is so much more than “stand here and smile.”
And even now? I never stop learning.
I take courses every year, attend workshops, experiment with new techniques, and push myself creatively. Photography evolves constantly — if you don’t grow, you fall behind. And growth is something I genuinely love.
Today, my work focuses on maternity, newborn, women’s portraits, and personal branding. I love working with women. I love helping them see themselves differently — confident, powerful, elegant, and real. Newborn photography will always have a special place in my heart, but creating images for women is something I feel deeply connected to.
I’ve lived in the Netherlands, England, and now the USA — and honestly? Don’t ask me which one I liked best. I still don’t know. 😄
I avoid big crowds, haven’t been to a concert yet (one day!), love reading even though my books are currently collecting dust, and I fly back to Poland regularly despite not loving flying at all ✈️. Also: black coffee is life, lemonade is for summer, and my secret dream is getting a dog 🐕 (please don’t tell my husband).
Photography taught me something important:
YOUR PASSIONS DON'T DISAPPEAR - THEY WAIT!!!
And if you’re reading this and feeling that quiet pull toward something you love… maybe it’s waiting for you too 🤍
✨ About the Photographer
I’m Kamila — a maternity, newborn, women’s, and personal branding photographer based in the Boston area and the heart behind Blanke Atelier. I create elegant, studio-based portraits focused on connection, light, and timeless aesthetics, inspired by motherhood, femininity, and real stories.
📍 Serving in Tewksbury, Andover, Reading, Concord, Boston, and surrounding MA areas.
