My Approach To Photography

My Approach To Photography

I became a mom in 2016.

This changed everything.

I didn’t adjust to motherhood easily. I was 36, had a great job as dental hygienist , a loving husband, and supportive family and friends but I was actually really struggling.

I wondered why no one sat me down and told me what was about to happen. You know, like tell me I was about to feel like I was hit by a semi truck!

Don’t get me wrong-it’s wonderful but it’s one of the biggest adjustments in life you will ever experience. I felt so blessed and happy but the sleep deprivation, a baby with colic ( I felt like he cried for 3 months straight), and post pardum depression were intense.

Today, I have grasped the concept of being tired pretty much all the time and that life as I know it is just BEGUN! What the heck did I do with myself before when I had all that free time?! Oh yeah, I took naps…a lot of them. Ha!

I absolutely love being a mom and I can’t imagine my life any different now, life is good!

My Point Is

I have a new appreciation for time and how it slips through our fingers so easily.

The little moments, the chaos, and how important it was to remember it forever. I don’t want to forget those things and how much I treasure them.

Most of us are all so rushed with our daily to-do’s, jobs, and obligations.

I asked myself what I would want in a photographer and a session experience. I realized it’s got to be simple, fun, and real.

I hear all the time how stressful a session can be for mom or dad trying to get everyone ready and that by the time the day arrives they might be so stressed they cannot relax and enjoy the experience. This matters because it shows in your photos! Hire a photographer who will guide you and take the stress off of your session for you!

Being a photographer in the Pacific Northwest has its benefits! Check out this family beach session at Cape Kiwanda, Oregon. This family showed up and just let me guide them though their session.

I Have Always Loved Photography But…

I want to take it to a new level.

I want to show that was not only OK but important to document the mayhem of family life and that it is actually so incredibly beautiful!

It is perfectly imperfect.

Movement, Connection, & Authenticity

That is what fuels my creative fire!

In the past, I thought I had to follow some sort of “rules” so that everyone would be happy with my photography, I wasn’t being true to my vision. I thought it had to stiff, super posed, and it just felt unnatural. It was when I gave myself permission to be myself. To not to hold back my creativity, this is when I really feel like I grew as a photographer, artist, person, and a mom.

The families in my portfolio likely felt the same way you did and worried they wouldn’t know what to do or how to pose themselves.

They didn’t have to. I guided them and gave them permission to be themselves.

My heart bursts when I hear from a family that they didn’t know they could look like that. The truth is, you already did. You and your family are incredibly beautiful just the way you are.

Life is short. Take the trip. Buy the shoes. Eat the cake. Hire the photographer.