Meet Cait Swithers | Colorado Photographer + Filmmaker

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

Hi Cait, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Starting in college, I began to have a huge passion for abused women after learning about the realities of domestic violence and sex-trafficking. I devoted the next several years to volunteering in any shape I could and educating myself about the cycles, vulnerabilities, and experiences of survivors in hopes to make any sort of impact to help these women. It was a beautiful journey that led me to find what I thought was my dream job at a resource center downtown denver for survivors of abuse. Because of the urgency on my heart for this demographic, I thought the only way to stay involved and actually make a difference was to follow suit with the leaders before me and become a social worker for a non-profit, but that quickly left me feeling drained and without any capacity to thrive in the other areas of my life. At the time, photography was my creative outlet to bring joy in a world that can seem very dim in that field. I started to learn that there are so many different ways to do good in the world and make a difference in someone’s life, and it feels a lot better when we’re walking in alignment with what we’re good at as well! In 2019 photography became my full-time career while also getting to give my talents and time to the organizations and survivors that had grown to feel like family. My brand and mission is to serve frequently through local fundraisers, co-hosting the Denver’s annual city-wide march for awareness of sex-trafficking, and donating monetarily from every wedding booked. I feel so blessed to be in a position where I can truly thrive in my career and still be a part of an industry that deserves so much. I believe that we can make a huge impact when we all work together!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to describe my work as timeless + organic, a seamless blend of being a sneaky hidden photo journalist capturing moments when no one knows, as well as owning my role as creative director and leading my clients through a really fun experience of capturing life’s most important memories. I truly believe that these moments we want captured are some of the most special heirlooms we could ever have the opportunity to hold onto as we grow older and pass on to younger generations. There is something so incredibly pure about the nostalgia we feel from looking at old photos and I almost feel an urgency, or a debt, to give this gift to others. Your wedding day deserves that million dollar glowing smile on your face to be remembered forever, for days that are hard, and years that are sad, to hang on your walls for all of your guests to feel the warmth of love in your family. We all are worthy of seeing the beauty and depth of our relationships in a photo or film, and that’s why I give all that I am to my clients. I think that’s why I’m passionate about every aspect of my job, even down to senior photos, because the stage of life that you’re in right now will never come back around. You are SO worthy to be celebrated as you are right now, and I think by doing my best to make it an effortless and natural experience, I’m able to really encapsulate how beautiful your life is in this very moment.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
FUN is my favorite word, so I don’t think I could land on one itinerary to do justice what my heart yearns for. But I think the first step would be to invite all my best friends and travel through Europe taking in every inch of the architecture + scenery! One of my favorite things to do is learn weird facts and hear stories so I would imagine the trek through history-rich places would be full of hidden gems. We would meet centuries-old homesteaders who would invite us in and make us homemade meals from recipes handed down from generations and learn bits and pieces of their ancestry and guide us to the most spectacular views. Each day would be filled with different challenging ventures like sky-diving, hiking through waterfalls, taking a cooking class from an italian, and learning new bits of language through every country. Each night would be spent playing card games with cocktails in a tavern with a wood burning fire and occasional live bands playing traditional music of the locals (and it would sometimes turn into karaoke). I could probably keep going with new fun thoughts popping into my head forever, but lately our more realistic “fun nights” means ramen for dinner, and snuggling with my husband + two puppies + kitty (yes we’re crazy) and watching a marvel movie until it’s time for bed!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe so much of my success to each person who has walked alongside me at some point of my journey. My friends and old co-workers who supported me before I even knew what I was doing, the first photographer who not only hired me as a second shooter but took me under her wing to show me the ropes, Amanda Tromp, the incredible team of entrepreneurs in my mastermind crew who continue to push me outside of my own limitations and encourage the heck out of me, along with our leaders Joey + Christy. And mostly to my incredibly gracious and the most supporting husband ever, my very own Sam, who made this dream not only a reality but an incredible success. I could not have done anything without a partner like him who grounds me, reminds me that the core of my business is to serve and love, and who will also do all of my accounting for me. 😉

Website: caitswithers.com

Instagram: instagram.com/caitsphoto

Facebook: facebook.com/caitlynsphoto

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCydpz6CDK20MXopHY-6w1tA

Image Credits
Cait Swithers Photo + Film