I'm Kate McKenna and I have specialized in maternity, newborn, baby, toddler, and family photography since 2009. That's twelve years and well over a thousand families I've had the privilege to meet and photograph. So much has changed in life since I first opened my doors. The biggest change was probably the birth of my twin daughters in 2013.
They turned my life upside down and sometimes, continue to! But they have made me a better photographer and a better small business owner. The next biggest change came in 2017 when I moved my tiny studio from Medford, MA to my current 1100 square foot, fully stocked studio in Andover, MA. It's a very warm and cozy place to be.
They turned my life upside down and sometimes, continue to! But they have made me a better photographer and a better small business owner. The next biggest change came in 2017 when I moved my tiny studio from Medford, MA to my current 1100 square foot, fully stocked studio in Andover, MA. It's a very warm and cozy place to be.
Services
The first year of a baby's life is such a fun and exciting time. It's a year full of changes and milestones. And each milestone is special in its own way. Which is why I love getting the chance to capture each of these phases and celebrating what makes each one amazing. The first year is fleeting and precious, but professional baby portraits last forever and help you remember and cherish each amazing step.
Reaching the one year old milestone is a great reason to party! Not only is it one of the biggest milestones for your baby, but let's face it: you as a parent have survived a whole year. And that is a big deal. Plus, it's the perfect excuse for one of my favorite things: cake smash photos. These make fun and thoughtful wall art and gift options for family members.
The only time that seems to slip by faster than your baby's first year of life might be the pregnancy itself. I am even more in awe and wonder of what the human body can accomplish, now that I am several years removed from my own twin pregnancy. Whether this is your first pregnancy or fifth, this is definitely a milestone in your life to capture as it becomes a distant memory with time.
I firmly believe that your family portraits are meant to be seen. Whether you plan on displaying your new artwork on the walls of your home, in an album that can be passed down through the generations or on a custom case for your iPhone (all of the above!), the time to think about what to do with your professional photos is now.
There is no year quite like the first year of life. Your baby goes from a newborn, unable to hold up their own head, to a walking, talking little one year old with an opinion in the split second of a year! When you're in the thick of babyhood, it's hard to believe one day they will no longer be your tiny baby.
Reviews (22)
Fjola Johannesdottir
Dec 01, 2021
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Sarah Zangri
Nov 23, 2021
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I can't recommend Crabapple Photography enough! As soon as we stepped through the door Kate and her assistant were friendly, warm, funny, and extremely welcoming. My family and I booked a Christmas Mini Session (15-20 minutes) and with it being our first family photography session I wasn't sure what to expect. My 1 year old son was smiling in no time, and we'll definitely be booking a longer session in the future!
Duy Nguyen
Nov 23, 2021
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Raymond Lore
Nov 20, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
My wife Nicole and I once again were stunned by the beautiful pictures Kate took. She and her assistant made the studio so warm and inviting for my one year old. He warmed right up to them. I highly recommend them for any and all pictures your family are looking to have done .
My wife Nicole and I once again were stunned by the beautiful pictures Kate took. She and her assistant made the studio so warm and inviting for my one year old. He warmed right up to them. I highly recommend them for any and all pictures your family are looking to have done .
Mina Safain
Nov 16, 2021
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Duy N.
Nov 11, 2021
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Casey Foglio
Oct 30, 2021
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We had a fantastic experience with Crabapple - Kate is AMAZING at what she does (she’s an actual baby whisperer, our newborn melted in her hands the moment we arrived). She and her assistant are so warm & welcoming and we felt totally comfortable right away. Our photos came out awesome. Great communication throughout the whole process, and a quick turnaround to see the finished product. We will definitely be using Crabapple in the future for more shoots!!
Janice Lu
Oct 21, 2021
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Kate recently did newborn photography for our second baby. This was our first time working with Kate and it was a great experience! Kate was very professional and responsive starting from the preparation phase to the finish. On the day, everything went so smoothly and well with the extra help from her assistant. Her studio has a large collection of props to choose from. We really appreciate her prompt responses to our inquiries and she tried to adjust the finished edits to suit our needs, I am really happy that we worked with her. Looking forward to working with Kate again in the future.
Stephanie Fried
Oct 14, 2021
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We've had the pleasure of working with Kate and her team on two occasions - once to capture our daughter's one year, and just recently an outdoor fall family session. We couldn't be happier with how the photos turned out! Kate has an amazing talent and is able to invoke beautiful moments with her camera. From beginning to end, she demonstrates great attention to detail, professionalism, and above all else, Kate is so down-to-earth and easy to work with; she makes it incredibly comfortable to have photos taken. We're already looking forward to planning another session within the next couple years
Jerrold W.
Oct 10, 2021
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Kate recently did newborn photography for our second baby. This was our first time working with Kate and it was a great experience! Kate was very professional and responsive starting from the preparation phase to the finish. On the day, everything went so smoothly and well with the extra help from her assistant. Her studio has a large collection of props to choose from. We really appreciate her prompt responses to our inquiries and she tried to adjust the finished edits to suit our needs, I am really happy that we worked with her. Looking forward to working with Kate again in the future
Deanna Santanello
Oct 01, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Kate and her team were fantastic to work with. From the moment we walked in the door, they took care of all of us including our dog. They made us feel safe with all the newborn poses and the pictures were absolutely stunning. Strongly recommend!
Kate and her team were fantastic to work with. From the moment we walked in the door, they took care of all of us including our dog. They made us feel safe with all the newborn poses and the pictures were absolutely stunning. Strongly recommend!
Erin McGowan
Sep 20, 2021
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Crabapple photography has been so wonderful to work with - we wanted to take maternity photos with our two dogs - one who is highly active and the other who is dog reactive and they were so patient with all of us, took care of every detail, held our dogs, our bags, catered to everything we needed AND the photos came out incredible. I'm so happy that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to do this and have some incredible memories documented forever.
Clare Z.
Jun 25, 2021
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It's a wonderful experience to take my son's 100 days portraits with them. They are patient, friendly, experienced and thoughtful. During pandemic, they only allow one family per day. Also, they have many details setup in the studio for the families, like changing pad, wipes and sanitize stuff. Kate is very easy to communicate, and she also provide professional advices based on our needs in advance, so we did our shooting efficiently. We will definitely come back for more happy photo taken!
Michael N.
May 21, 2021
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We had an excellent experience with Crabapple for our daughter's one-year cake smash! Our daughter was initially reluctant to pose on her own in a strange new environment (she was born at the beginning of the MA lockdowns) but Kate was patient with us and we were able to get some fantastic shots to commemorate her first birthday.
Karen B.
May 02, 2021
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Kate recently did a One Year Cake Smash photoshoot for our daughter. I wasn't sure how our baby would do, as she is in a "busy" phase. But, Kate made it so fun. She was kind and patient with our baby and the hour flew by! Our baby had a great time!
We originally hired Kate to do our newborn photos last year (April 2020), and unbeknownst to us...or anyone, they ended up being canceled because of the pandemic. It was a really hard time for us to be in a pandemic, with a newborn, as new parents, while isolated. Missing out on our newborn photos was a small but nonetheless heartbreaking
We originally hired Kate to do our newborn photos last year (April 2020), and unbeknownst to us...or anyone, they ended up being canceled because of the pandemic. It was a really hard time for us to be in a pandemic, with a newborn, as new parents, while isolated. Missing out on our newborn photos was a small but nonetheless heartbreaking
Jen S.
Apr 22, 2021
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We recently welcomed our second child and reached out to Kate to set up newborn/family photos. She was extremely prompt in her response to our inquiry and reassured us that she had solid covid safety protocols in place. As time got closer and we set up a time for our shoot we were exposed to covid from our pediatrician and she was beyond flexible with adjusting our schedule in the midst of our stress.
Once at our shoot she tamed my 20 month old, posed my newborn, and created some really beautiful natural photos. We had a wonderful in studio experience and I would highly recommend her for your family
Once at our shoot she tamed my 20 month old, posed my newborn, and created some really beautiful natural photos. We had a wonderful in studio experience and I would highly recommend her for your family
Anna C.
Mar 01, 2021
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Kate is absolutely an incredible photographer and honestly just a great human! We planned to do our photoshoot in the middle of February 2021, so we knew we would potentially be dealing with both crappy New England weather and Covid pandemic constraints. I could not have asked for a better experience. Kate chose the PERFECT location for our winter shoot. The sun ended up coming out, which was great. Her and her assistant were so welcoming and just made me and my husband feel so comfortable. We brought our dog as well and they helped take care of her for the photos that didn't include our pup
Erin M.
Dec 01, 2020
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When we found out we were pregnant I knew that I'd want newborn photos done so I did extensive research on photographers and fell in love with Crabapple Photography. However, with Covid I was extremely nervous about booking anything. I reached out to Kate and felt her Covid policies would keep things extremely safe. She was extremely responsive and helpful with all of my questions and concerns. The session itself was amazing - working with Kate was a dream. She was so beyond fantastic dealing with our baby (who was older than the normal age for newborn photos so she wasn't as sleepy or
Sally S.
Mar 10, 2020
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This was such an enjoyable experience for us - we got to sit back and enjoy the photo shoot. Kate and her colleague wore gloves, were very peaceful and gentle with our newborn, and were flexible with our preferences for the photo shoot. Then of course we love the photos and I am so glad that we will have these to remember the days when she was so little - babies grow so fast! Highly recommend Crabapple.
Rebecca W.
Mar 22, 2019
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We have hired Kate twice for newborn photos for our two sons and are so thrilled with the results. She manages every detail for you--from the "what to expect" email before arrival, to the actual shoot, to the ordering of prints and organizing of albums afterwards. She is a baby whisperer and a photography ninja! Both times, she managed our newborns with such ease and patience. She really knows how to put both both baby and parents at ease. She has a comfortable and professional studio, tons of props & outfits, and does all the creative work when it comes to styling the poses. And
Cj K.
Nov 17, 2018
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We have been using Kate for almost seven years now. She did my older sons newborn pictures and we just love how she has managed to capture our family every year. From newborn pictures to family pictures I can't say enough about Kate's talent. She has also managed to somehow get many fantastic pictures with us all looking at the camera (which is priceless when you have kids). Would recommend her to anyone wanting to really capture the moment. We love ya Kate!
Meredith L.
Oct 17, 2017
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The entire experience with Kate has been amazing. She was so thorough in her instructions on getting ready for the day and quick to respond to any questions. The photoshoot was extremely laid back, which you might not expect with a 2 week old baby. She was a baby whisperer! We are so in love with the photos. Kate captured our baby girl better than we could have imagined. We look forward to more photoshoots in the future!
