Hi... I'm
A photography session should feel like a chat with a friend who happens to be taking pictures. I love creating a space where people feel safe to be themselves. The real magic of a photograph comes from who you are, not from posing or perfection.
Sharing a little of my own heart feels like the best place to start. Hopefully knowing me will make it feel easier to just be you.
Being married to
my best friend is awesome.
When Toby and I got married in 2006, I didn’t even fully understand what marriage meant. We've been through a lot of ups and downs, including an almost two-year separation. We've learned so much and have chosen to use our pain, joy, and all the emotions in between as the building blocks for our life together. There isn't a day that I don't wake up and appreciate Toby and our marriage.
Motherhood was my
childhood dream and it's even better than I imagined.
My two kids are the absolute joy of my life. Growing up, all I ever wanted to be was a mom. Em and Noah have fulfilled that dream and then some. I know I’m biased, but I think they are the coolest, kindest, most amazing humans on the planet. And now that they're almost adults? Wow. They make me incredibly proud. Watching them grow and become the people they are is the greatest privilege of my life. I’m blessed beyond belief to be their mama.
I believe in god's
boundless love.
Are you familiar with The Shack by William P. Young? The story captures the way I think about God better than anything else I’ve come across. It paints a picture of a love that is deep, patient, and unconditional.
To me, faith is about loving people the way God loves us - choosing to be a place of shelter during life’s storms and meeting others with kindness, dignity, and an open heart.
My Dog is the Best
Snuggler in the World.
Feeling our dog, Luca, snuggle up against me or rest his chin on my leg is just about the coziest feeling I know. He has kind eyes, a sweet soul, and a hold on all of our hearts. I've come to love and appreciate animals so much more now that I have a soul connection with one. Every day with Luca is a gift and his gentle, caring spirit is a beautiful addition to our lives. My happiest place at home is curled up under a fluffy blanket with a good book, a warm drink, and my furry little bestie.
my love for cooking and feeding people is part of my heritage.
I grew up watching the strongest women in my life cook. I made cookies with my mom at our kitchen counter, watched my grandma knead bread at her kitchen table, and sat on the floor with my other grandma learning the smells of all the kitchen spices. I learned quickly that cooking for your family is one way to love them.
When those women welcomed me into that world, I felt completely surrounded by their care. They didn't just show me how to care for others by feeding them - they showed me that cooking can be magic. I have treasured the creativity and love that can flow from the kitchen ever since, and I hope with all my heart that I am living proof of their legacy.
stories are magic.
When I was little, my aunt used to sit beside my bed and weave the most beautiful stories. I was fascinated by her ability to take all the characters I could imagine and mix them into the perfect tale. As I grew up, I fell in love with getting lost in books. My parents and grandparents read to me constantly, and I was in heaven once I was able to read on my own. When I opened a book, the rest of the world would fade away. I could feel a characters joy or sorrow just by allowing my heart to connect with theirs. Nothing felt out of reach if I could imagine it.
Before long, I found that I loved to create stories just as much as I enjoyed getting lost in them - short stories, poems, and eventually... photographs. Every time I pick up a pen or a camera, I'm not only creating in the present. I'm also that little girl in her bed, experiencing the magic of stories all over again.
the ocean speaks
to my soul.
There is something about the ocean that tugs at my spirit. Standing with my toes in the sand where land and water meet, feeling the cool tide gently curl around the tops of my feet again and again... it makes me feel so very like myself.
My favorite time is just before the sun rises. The blues and palest pinks that stretch across the sky like a watercolor painting stir something in me. Not just the beauty itself, but also the memories — walking down to the beach with people I love to search for the treasures left by the tide. I first walked that path as a child and later with my own children.
As I get older, what moves me is not just the gentle embrace of the water or the sweetness of remembrance - it's the wonder that washes over me as I gaze out across the soft waves. The slow movement of the tide, the passage of time, the way life flows from one season to the next… it’s all so profoundly beautiful and that beauty fills my soul.
nothing fills my heart like music.
I grew up with music woven into the very fabric of my life. A song can be a balm for a weary spirit, a way to tell a story, or the doorway to a memory. My mama filled our home with her beautiful voice and the tracks of a full five-disc CD changer. I was raised on bedside lullabies, ABBA, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and so many other wonderful artists, along with plenty of church music. My mom and I sang in the choir together for decades, while my dad and I shared a love for the harmonies of folk music — especially Simon and Garfunkel.
When my kids were born, I couldn’t wait to fling open the floodgates and let music fill their lives, too. We sang along to Disney movies and church services, jammed to road trip playlists, and I rocked them to sleep singing the same songs my mom once sang to me.
Now life has come full circle. My kids are both wonderful vocalists, and our home is still filled with music - Gregory Alan Isakov, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, ABBA, The Cure, Simon & Garfunkel, and sooo many musical theatre songs. Music has already shaped their lives and I know it will continue to work its magic in their hearts. I’m so grateful they love music as much as I do. My heart is full.
the struggles of life make me grateful for every moment.
Not all of life is easy or happy. I try to be someone that focuses on the beauty in each day, but there are times when life is just plain hard.
Going through cancer in my mid-twenties with a one-year-old son, a two-year-old daughter, and a three-year-old marriage was hard. Enduring a marriage separation was hard. Battling my weight is hard. Losing my dad unexpectedly was hard.
Life's challenges have broken my heart and knocked the wind out of me, but I refuse to let them crush my spirit. Each mountain along my journey has been difficult to climb, but I feel confident that every one has served a greater purpose. The key is keeping my heart open.
Bruised hearts are often the safest places for others who are hurting. I try to use the hardships I've faced to become a gentle resting place for weary souls. Accepting my own pain has made me better at sitting beside others when they are in pain.
Life is hard and suffering is universal. All we can do is try to ease the aching of others and live each day with a heart of gratitude, never taking for granted the joys that we get to experience.
every single person
deserves a safe space.
Life may not always be easy, but it is such a gift. My experiences have helped weave the tapestry of who I am and the same is true for every single person I meet. I want to honor each thread.
Every human being deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and compassion. I also want to give every person I meet the freedom to be themselves. That's a vulnerable thing and it means making sure that the people around me feel safe and seen.
Whether it's with my actions, words, or camera, I want to create that kind of space - the kind of space where people can simply show up as they are. And when that space allows me to meet people exactly where they are, know people as they truly are? Wow. What a gift