OUR STORY
(AKA: “THE ANTECEDENCE”)
/ant-e-see-dens/ (noun) ; events, circumstances, or individuals that existed or occurred prior to the current state of being.
To understand who we are and why we do what we do,
FIRST YOU SHOULD READ
THE STORY OF
How We Got Here
i there, Karrie here! Native Floridian (originally of the rural/agricultural variety), lifelong equestrian (currently training on my 10 year old Andalusian toward 2nd Level Dressage), mother of 1 (if you don’t count the two Frenchies), and unapologetic word-nerd (yes, the sesquipedalian page titles were me). ☺️ My part of the story starts unceremoniously in 2001, when I began my photography career in a rural area outside of Tampa, Florida. I was 2 years down the path to earning my Doctorate of Pharmacy when my creative side led me to pursue degrees in Photography and Fine Art instead. My husband Rob and I moved the business to Nashville, I became a photography educator while shooting weddings in Music City, and in 2010, we got an opportunity to take a shoot in Key West. What was supposed to be 2 weeks became a summer, and then - short version - we basically just never left, having our daughter and settling in to island life. Then, as any fellow Swiftie will appreciate,
H
“Let’s fast forward to 300 takeout coffees later”,
meeting local vendors and other photographers….
— (Okay, maybe it wasn’t that many) —
however it was in that process that I met the person who would eventually have me writing this “About” section you’re reading right now, my dear friend and fellow wedding photographer, Rachel E Ligon, who I would come to know, love, and work alongside (each of us on our respective businesses, but always with each other to lean on) for over a decade. She was as much a part of my family as she was a mentor, sounding board, and cheerleader, not to mention an amazing person in the Key West creative community.
But to my and everyone’s shock and sorrow, she passed away unexpectedly in August 2023. It was not just a devastating personal blow, but also professionally left me feeling astray. We had always affectionately referred to each other as our “Board of Directors”, with an ability to swap hats from chuckling over dog videos one minute, to discussing image license policies, marketing ideas, and lab rate changes the next. Once she was gone, I felt at odds between wanting to live up to the standard she had set in the wedding industry, contrasted with what felt like it would be an empty victory without her there to share it.
hat would be me! Hi, I’m Mark. My journey to this point starts in 1998 when I first visited Key West for New Year’s Eve. I immediately fell in love with the island and was determined to eventually call it home. In the meantime, I continued my career in the fire and EMS service, taking trips back to the southernmost city as often as possible, and enjoying a passion for photography that evolved from landscapes to wedding photography. When the time finally came to call paradise “home” for good, I brought my passion for photography and walked into the Key West Collective where I met the very busy yet friendly owner, the one and only Rachel E Ligon herself.
T
— Thankfully, Rachel had introduced me to another amazing professional: Mark Funkhouser —
I expressed an interest in shooting together.
“Great, how about you join me tomorrow?” she said.
Little did I know, but Rachel was a master manifester, and had just had a conversation with a friend named Karrie Porter, telling her “my new second shooter is going to show up soon”, as certain as if she’d already set an appointment.
Call it fate, call it coincidence, call it serendipity,
but I started shooting with Rachel the very next day after I met her, and enjoyed an incredible time stretching my creativity with destination wedding couples from all around the country. Our friendship and work relationship grew and I also started to help out at the gallery. It was then at one of the gallery’s well-attended soirees that I met this Karrie Porter she had told me about, and at Rachel’s invitation, Karrie and I also began shooting together not long after.
— Moving forward on a mission —
While we had already established that our shooting styles and creative approaches were a good fit for one another, it was in the wake of Rachel’s death, between running her gallery and managing her wedding clients, that we came to realize we make a pretty good team. It was then that we partnered up, combining our experience and shared passion for creating vibrant, dynamic, emotional, and romantic images for our brides, grooms, and couples of all kinds.
But most importantly…
WHAT ALL OF THIS
MEANS TO YOU
It means you’re working with the
top wedding photographers
in key west
Karrie and Mark’s dedication to the art and finesse of photographing weddings comes out in a style that is all about capturing people in the most natural way in any environment.
Education, direction, dedication, and passion are what set their work apart from all the rest. They shoot from the heart, taking time to get to know their clients personally via phone calls and meetings prior to the Big Day, ultimately creating the moments every client desires when hiring a professional.
Their photography style is a balance of a traditional approach with an artistic vision. Key West is a magical place to say your "I Do's" and to share special moments. The goal for Karrie and Mark is to provide you and your family with vibrant true to life island images you will cherish for a lifetime!
“On behalf of Cara, our families, and myself I just wanted to extend another ‘Thank you’ to you and Mark for your dedicated hard work and patience with us yesterday. Cara and I were delighted with how well you both handled everything. We cannot wait to see the photos. Thank you both again for truly making our day as special as you did and for allowing us to relive that day for the rest of our lives.”
-Devin and Cara
Sunset Key Wedding | February 2024
