About Encinitas Studio


Photography that feels as effortless as life on the California coast.


Whether you're celebrating your wedding day, documenting your family, building your brand, or launching a new campaign, your photographs should feel like you—beautiful, genuine, and timeless.


At Encinitas Studio, every session is built around creating images with purpose.  The kind you'll proudly hang on your walls, share with the world, or use to grow your business for years to come.  My approach is relaxed and collaborative, giving you the space to be yourself while I focus on the light, composition, and the moments that often happen between the poses.


My clients aren't looking for ordinary photographs.  They want images that tell a story, feel elevated without feeling staged, and capture the personality behind the people, families, and brands they represent.


That's exactly what I love creating.






Meet Your Photographer

Katie Doner - Founder/Photographer

Black and white photo of a smiling woman with curly hair holding a Canon camera up to photograph.

More than two decades behind the camera.



My journey as a photographer began while studying Fine Arts in college, where I developed a deep appreciation for light, composition, and visual storytelling.   More than twenty years later, those same artistic principles continue to shape every photograph I create.


Over the years, photography has taken me on adventures I never could have imagined.  I've photographed more than 150 weddings, toured the West Coast with the New Zealand reggae band Katchafire, documented performances by artists including Miami Horror, and created imagery for commercial campaigns, fashion lookbooks, restaurants, hotels, magazines, political campaigns, and lifestyle brands across the country.


Whether I'm documenting the emotion of a wedding day, capturing the energy of a live performance, or creating imagery that helps a business tell its story, my approach remains the same: find authentic moments, work with beautiful light, and create photographs that feel timeless.


My work has been featured in publications including Cosmopolitan, Richmond Magazine, Edible Seacoast, Edible Reno-Tahoe, and numerous regional and national publications.  Every assignment, every destination, and every client has helped shape the photographer I am today.


Now, all of those experiences come together here in Encinitas, where I create thoughtful, story-driven imagery inspired by the beauty and laid-back spirit of the California coast.




Inspired by the coast. Guided by connection.


Encinitas isn't just where I work—it's the lifestyle that inspires everything I create.


The easy mornings, salty air, golden sunsets, and creative spirit of our coastal community naturally influence the way I photograph.  Whether we're walking along the beach, exploring local trails, creating imagery for your business, or documenting one of life's biggest milestones, I want your photographs to feel effortless, natural, and unmistakably Southern California.


Every client deserves an experience that's enjoyable from beginning to end.  I'll help with location selection, wardrobe guidance, natural posing, and creating an environment where you can relax and simply enjoy the moment.  When you're comfortable, the photographs become something much more than beautiful.  They become honest.

Two women in band tees pose confidently before a vibrant, colorful graffiti heart wall mural.

Every chapter deserves to be remembered.


Life moves quickly, but the moments that matter deserve to last.  Whether we're documenting your family, creating imagery for your business, or celebrating one of life's biggest milestones, my goal is always the same: to create photographs that you'll treasure for decades.  I look forward to meeting you and hearing your story.



Smiling woman dancing joyfully at Tribal Sessions event, wearing blue skirt and tank top with flowing hair and blue body paint.

Featured Awards and Partners

Voted Best Richmond Magazine award badge with laurel wreath border in blue.
Cosmopolitan magazine logo in bold pink letters on a white background.
The Knot Best of Weddings 2023 award badge on a red circle with white text.
WeddingWire Couples Choice Awards 2023 badge with five gold stars on white and yellow background.
Best of Zola 2026 award badge with interlinked hearts logo on teal background.

Partners

Edible New Hampshire magazine logo featuring elegant script and serif typography in black and white.
American Heart Association logo featuring a red heart with a torch flame and bold black text on a white background.
Edible Reno-Tahoe logo featuring elegant script text and an orange chicken silhouette above bold serif typography.
Richmond Bride magazine logo in elegant black script typography on a white background.
Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships official logo with bold blue text and a lightning bolt emblem.

Partners

The Bachelorette logo featuring bold black text with a gold diamond engagement ring replacing the letter O.
Colorful NBC peacock logo with six vibrant feathers in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple above bold NBC text.
Bold black text displaying the word 'status' in lowercase on a white background.
Steez Magazine logo on denim background with Influential Culture tagline and colorful paint splatter design.
Majamas Earth circular logo with bold ME initials, tagline care what you wear, on black background.