I didn’t always know I’d become a photographer — Very deep down I always felt I needed to find something real...something meaningful. For a long time, I played it safe. I took jobs I knew I couldn’t fail at. Jobs where I could stay in the background, away from risk, away from the fear of making mistakes that could possibly lead to embarrassment and shame. But that kind of life comes at a cost — and for me, it was massive boredom, burnout and a sense of failure that I wasn’t coming close to truly living up to who I really was nor was I offering that true part of me to the world around me. I've hungered for this release from such a captive mindset and found it when I began my photography business.
In 2008, at 39 years old, I picked up my camera and started a business that changed everything.
Now, 18 years later, I’ve photographed hundreds of weddings, portraits, and commercial projects throughout the world— and I can tell you, with certainty, that doing work you love, (especially as an artist constantly taking chances) doesn’t mean doing it perfectly. What matters most is intention, creativity, connection, and care. I’ve learned that mistakes are not shameful — they’re part of the process, and they’ve only made me better.
Photography taught me to aim high, take chances, and trust in what I have to offer — and I bring that energy to every single session.
....I'm also a brain cancer survivor. It's been 6 years since diagnosis and it still is weird to read those words. Diagnosed with a super rare skull based brain tumor in mid 2020, (yep, when Covid was happening), this unexpected turn truly flipped my families entire world upside down but the best part is that I got super, super lucky.... (it just wasn't my time to go!). With an amazing neurosurgeon at Duke Medical in NC and 2 months of proton radiation up in Seattle, I was back home by February of 2021. What happened next was truly unexpected as I thought I was behind the worst, but my story continues with experiencing 2 years of nausea first brought on by the radiation and then from high anxiety, depression, (which from what I hear is super common with survivors....but if you knew me, you'd understand that this could not be further away from who I am as a person). In addition to my health, I was facing the need to begin rebuilding my business after Covid disrupted the event industry.
After surviving a brain tumor in 2020, I look at wedding days a little differently. I see the quiet hugs, the tearful glances, and the wild laughter not just as moments, but as irreplaceable treasures. I'm 100% here to say that I love life just as much now as I did before and feel grateful for this 2nd chance.
Yes, as your wedding photographer, I promise to listen to you and value what you have to say. Honestly, that's a deeply ingrained value that comes out in my personality. In my mind, after all, the only way for me to create photos you’ll love is to be open and honest with you.
But, I won’t bring a setlist of shots with me to your wedding. BOR-ING! Instead, I’ll constantly search for moments like these:
-When you step aside to catch your breath before the reception...
-When you kill it breakdancing in the middle of your first dance....
-When your best friend catches the bouquet even after tripping over the ring bearer....
Why? Because that's when we, as humans, move past the "act" and show our true beautiful selves!!!
