love

valerie & evan

I LOVE THIS SESSION. I love these two and their magical house and their sweet love. 

My eagerness to post these is such a good feeling. Making something that feels so authentic and happy is so rejuvenating.
It super helps that Val & Evan are some of our closest friends. We have a bimonthly dinner that leaves us all with headaches from laughing so hard. The best kind of gathering ends that way.  Shooting close friends actually allowed me to get even more intimate interactions because their comfort with me was already established. So we started the session with creativity and trust flowing freely. And that's where the magic happens. At this intersection of creativity and trust, that's where the genuine joy and authenticity comes out to play. 

shawn + katelynn

I've known these two since high school, so capturing their wedding day was effortless and personal. I love the modern vibe that the art gallery provided. Katelynn said " It was a really heartwarming feeling to see so many of our friends and family come together to make our wedding day perfect. It was at an art gallery that I've shown at, and we have spent endless hours installing my work there. I loved the days leading up to the wedding having everyone sleeping at our house, going to one of our usual restaurants for dinner and drinks on the patio, anxiously getting things ready the day of... it was wonderful and I wouldn't have had it any other way."

Their ceremony was so authentic and true to their characters that I had to shoot through tears.  Here's some snippets of their vows, just to share some feels.

"Shawn, every day with you is like getting a hug and a high five. You're my best friend, my biggest fan, my rock, and my heart. I promise to support you as you have supported me, to allow us to grow independently while weaving ourselves together. I promise to love you unconditionally, as you have loved me."

"Katelynn, you are truly the perfect partner for me to spend my life with, you are the reason that I strive to improve myself daily, be it on a personal level or on a professional level, you have helped me become a better, stronger, and more ambitious person and I am incredibly thankful that you have chosen me as the person you will spend the rest of your life with. I promise to do all that I can to ensure that I see you smile every day, whether we be together or apart."

palmer family

"Molly's kind, easy presence made us feel comfortable, allowing her to capture a very ordinary Saturday morning for our family. I love that we have beautiful documentation of Caroline's extreme love of puffy tacos." -Ashley Palmer

The Palmer's little family tradition is to go to the farmer's market every Saturday to have tacos and dance to local music. And WOW wait until you see how much Caroline likes those tacos. I love how the Palmer's answered my question "what do you do as a family?" with such a fun tradition. I truly think it makes all the difference.
I absolutely loved capturing the Palmers in their natural routine. It's so authentic and makes these photos just that much more valueable.

Plus, Caroline is just a little doll baby in the most literal definition of that phrase. Just look at the sweetness that shines through. 

matt & makenzi anniversary session

I filmed Makenzi & Matt's wedding two years ago, and since that October, I have gotten to see them each October since. I think sessions with return clients are my favorite type of session ever because they just get more comfortable with me each time. Therefore, that much better at ignoring me and truly being themselves together. I love being ignored at a session. I love people falling into their own pattern and being truly into their people. This genuine connection makes me love my work (and my clients) more. And makes me prouder to send the session out because it's like "look how beautiful you are when you're aren't paying attention", "look how much you love each other!" Matt & Makenzi make my creativity soar and my heart happy each October I get to see them. Their peaceful joy is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

"How beautiful to find a heart that loves you, without asking for anything, but to be okay." -Khalil Gibran

harvey family

Mandy, Mark, Amelia & Owen. These four made my whole month.
This session is in my top favorites and has painted a perfect picture of what I want my work to feel and look like. I love love love the playfulness, the comfort and the imperfections. The genuine human interaction. This we carry with us through all of our days, I am sure of it. This love and warmth, this belonging. Be still, my heart.

I walked into their home and they were gracious and warm and then went right back to their business. This was a DREAM for me because real life is my goal. Not perfect life, not posed life- the feeding your kid breakfast and putting the baby to sleep life. This is what we will remember; exchanges and interactions, love and kindness and patience. Parenthood and childhood aren’t perfect. Why should we try to make it look that way? Isn’t there more beauty in the reality of it all? I find more beauty there. I hope you can see it too.