Me and My Why

I recently updated my website and am just now realizing that only recent blog posts are available for you to see. That’s a lot of good information you’re missing out on., even info on me! I thought I’d take a few minutes and quickly re-introduce myself to you. I’ll try to make it short, sweet, and hopefully a little humorous!

In a nutshell, I’m an East Coast chick (born and raised in Philadelphia), living in the desert (Na-vaaaaa-da to you non-locals), craving the mountain life (a log cabin, on a quiet lake, some land, and a mountain view). My hubby and I moved our family here 18 years ago, this month. Wow. When I’m not busy working, I’m crafting, quilting, and/or binge-watching Netflix. I love working with fabric and recycled textures, like leather and wool. My daughter hides our Pendleton blankets, as she is afraid I’ll cut them up for crafting.. Not yet, little Grasshopper, not yet. :)

I made this a few years back for my son’s sponsor family, when he was attending USNA.

5 things you may or may not know about me…

1) I come from a family of redheads. My parents both had red hair. My brothers and I have red hair. I co-created three more people with red hair. I can’t wait to have red-headed grand babies (or any grandbabies).;)

Excuse the poor techniques here - I hadn’t learned how to use my SLR yet. The three oldest, Love these gingers.

2) I’m addicted to The Mitford Series. I need something gentle and relaxing to read before I go to sleep at night, and my friend recommended the series to me. I will not tell you how many times I’ve read through this series (of 13 books?) in the last two years. It’s shameful, but I sleep well.

3) I consider jelly beans a vegetable. The darker the jelly bean, the more nutrition it has. I try to eat a lot of dark jelly beans. :)

4) Both hubby’s and my family had 3 boys and a baby girl. We felt the need to outdo our parents and had 4 boys and a baby girl.

I love this photo - it had been so long since we were all together. Snapshots can be treasures too!

5) When life gets too heavy and I need to refresh my soul, I hop in the car with a good friend, a good playlist, and a cooler full of Trader Joe’s goodies and go on a little photography adventure.

My best road-tripping, camera lovin’ adventure buddy. We brake for cows.

Did you know…

1) My first photography feature was on the Pioneer Woman’s blog. It was not technically the best, but I loved the photo and so did she. Fortunately my work has improved and I’ve been featured in multiple publications such as Teen Style Magazine, and many Fine Art Photography blogs.

2) I’ve been specializing in family and senior lifestyle photography since 2011. I also run a boutique school portrait business where I add a modern twist to traditional school photos. I’ve been known to crawl out on rock ledges, lay on the ground, or walk out to waist-deep water, just to get the shot.

3) I’m really bad at sharing location ideas with other photographers. I know… bad. It has become harder to find a location that does not require a permit. I’ve found some fabulous locations during my day-tripping adventures, and I keep a list of unique locations for my clients.

4) I love taking my clients’ vision for their sessions and making it come to life for them - from location, to wardrobe, to creating the shot - to creating keepsakes. Photography is one of the most meaningful investments a family can make. It’s my job to fulfill each client’s vision and present them with images that are beyond their expectations. Creating wall art, albums, and prints to display in their homes is the icing on the cake.

5) And that pretty much brings me to my why. Why am I a professional photographer? What am I passionate about? Every time a client looks at their photos, however displayed, they feel emotion. Children do not stay little, seniors go off to college, people pass on - life will never be the same as it was when those photos were taken. Photographs are your family’s legacy. Each family is unique. Each child is unique. When I can capture those moments, those personalities, those souls, and give them back to the family…… they feel how beautiful they are. That is why I do what I do.

If you’re thinking of investing in family photography, I’d love to help make your vision come to life!