Destination Wedding Photographer, Sedona Arizona

My biggest hurdle is my greatest asset

I have MANY limitations during wedding days and family sessions…..
Lighting: the lack of natural light in homes, harsh, direct, and uneven sunlight
during wedding ceremonies, DJ reception lights….
Subjects: intense bridesmaids, controlling or stoic men/dads (sometimes women), moooooody toddlers,
gassy newborns who keep fussing, anxiety ridden mothers, body conscious women….
My job very much depends on the subjects… I cannot get emotional photos without emotion.
BUT with ALL of that being said…. my biggest hurdle is that I NEVER believe I do a good enough job.
It is a constant feeling. It may dissipate for 4 minutes after taking an image I love soo much, but then the feeling returns.
I want to be better. I think I could have shot EVEN better than I did, although I simultaneously believe that in the moment, I did the best I could with what I am given. Thats my motto : “Do the best you can with what you are given,”
because most scenarios are out of my control. I have to roll with sooo many punches!!!
I always know what I need in the moment to get “the shot,” but the execution usually is out of my control, honestly: the toddler will not look at me (I don’t even need a smile, just one look), or the groom is SO DONE taking photos the energy is palpable,
or the time clock reads ZERO and the wedding planner is like, it’s go time!!!
I am in a weird constant flux of: “Ahhhhhhh I could have done better, I should have done this, I should have done that!!! Why didn’t I do that!!!” but, “NO, I had SO many limitations,
I KNOW I did the best I could in the moment.”
BUT I do believe that my mental hurdle of never feeling like I did my best, PUSHES ME to actually do MY BEST!!!
My challenging mental hurdle is also a blessing that makes me, ME!!
The photographer on the ENDLESS pursuit of amazing, unforgettable, hilarious, omg images!!

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SPEAK YOUR TRUTH DOES NOT MEAN….

Speak your truth does not mean vomit your opinion everywhere you go.
BUT thats the first impression of that phrase for most people.
I refer to my teens and 20s as being a little opinionated “Bambi”, stumbling along and falling
and FAILING many many times with my assertiveness and opinions. Speaking out is a trait that comes
very naturally to me, but its taken me 15+ years to kind of master it (kind of, I have a good grasp on it anyways).
I have some residual, full-body shivers thinking of the people in my past I probably pissed off from my unwanted opinions
and wondering if they assume I am still the same exact person a decade later.
Through my experiences, I have learned my truth of the phrase, “SPEAK YOUR TRUTH.”
I believe it means speak and act in line with your deepest, core beliefs.
For example, I believe everything happens for a reason, Divine Timing is PERFECT, and all is well in the end…..
so speaking my truth now, would be supporting people to have THEIR life experience,
without wanting to change, control, insert myself, or vomit opinions. My opinion on their married or parenting style
is the furthest thing from encouraging UNLESS they specifically ASK.
Its not about me. Their life, their lane. My life, my lane.
Also, the most important nugget wisdom of all is: treat someone how you want to be treated—
How do you feel when people voice their opinions to you about your life without asking?
Not good!!! OR: Judge other people how you want to be judged!!! ….which is probably NOT AT ALL right?!

(…..I also think “Speak your truth” has a lot to do with personal boundaries as well… but thats for another day:)

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Downtown Detroit Engagement + Matthew and Erica

I hadn’t been to downtown Detroit in almost eight years
so when I had the opportunity to explore it with two locals
for their engagement session….. I COULDNT WAIT!!!!!
We started the session in their home, then we rode around on
scooters and bikes to eclectic, amazing locations around Detroit!!!
I loved EVERY MINUTE.

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Colorado Springs Family + Ada and Juniper

This was definitely a highlight of my summer:
traveling to Colorado Springs and spending two days
with my amazing, beautiful friend Kat and her family!!!!

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My “weird” photography process to capture natural photos

If you’re interested in my “process” of photographing real people, that are actually posing, but it doesn’t look like it….
you have to know that I am inspired by what some would consider the “weirdest moments.”
Like…….. I asked Matt to change his shirt so we had a color change, but when he was ruffling through the drawer,
I quickly realized it was a BEAUTIFUL natural everyday moment, so I told Erica-
“go love on him while he’s doing that!” Later when Matt was changing the song on his phone,
Erica grabbed her feet and posed herself NATURALLY… (photos above)
and all I had to do was NOTICE. My job is to observe first, and second, communicate and translate
that into a photograph. That’s why in-home sessions are my everything!!!!!!
They inspire me more than anything else!!! I am inspired by mundane, random moments I see during sessions.
People constantly pose themselves in their own house and photographers simply have to NOTICE.
I believe the minute you take subjects to a field or to a beach,
maybe 95% of the natural posing that is effortlessly shown while in their own home, is lost!
It takes a lot of energy and work on behalf of the photographer
AND the subjects to create that natural posing in an “unnatural setting.”

So my advice to photographers is to notice…… observe. Every little movement and moment.

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