So here you are, reading about a girl who stumbled her way into one of the best jobs in the world.

I might have a fully American accent now, but my childhood was spent in idyllic New Zealand. We moved to California right before my 15th birthday, and my heart has been split between two places ever since! I've spent half of my life in each country, and recently finalized US immigration, so I call myself a Calizealander. (Which is totally a thing)

Speaking of New Zealand, that's where my love for memory recording began. I remember my first camera was a tiny pink film camera that a boarder gave me for my 7th birthday. (Thanks Kirsty!!) Buying and developing film was the only non-candy purchase I made with my allowance. Almost everything I shot on that camera was terrible... legitimately bad... but I love the photos anyway because they're full of memories I've long forgotten.

In college I earned a Bachelors in Communication and then an MBA because I was dead set on being a famous marketer. I only started photographing weddings 11 years ago because a friend asked me to. (What a crazy life changing request!!) As my work spread by word of mouth, my skills grew. I liked weddings and they helped pay for my expenses in school, but it was never supposed to be a lifetime thing.

If I had known the impact photography would have on my life, I probably would have turned down that first wedding. Instead, I jumped in the deep end of photographing people's wildest emotions and I was hooked. The thrill of this job has tugged me back like the tide anytime I've tried to swim to a different sea. I can't not love it. Photographing people when they are most emotional is a gift - for me and from me.

________

This website is bright and colorful for a reason... it's a reflection of my heart for photography.

For me, creating images is about celebrating life. It's about celebrating love, wins, family, comfort, ambition, joy, hard work, and healing. Life is hard, but it's also beautiful, and if we only focused on the things that went 'wrong', more of us would stay in bed all day.

With my camera, I capture the things that are worth celebrating. That can be family life, graduating high school, your wedding, the birth of a baby, the start of a new business, etc. All those things fly by when we're in the moment, and it's the photos that we're left with when the dust settles. Those images "take us back" and let us relive the memories without the blinders of emotion and exhaustion.

I cover my walls with images of the people and experiences I value because I never want to forget what I have been blessed with.

If you step in front of my camera, I promise the same for you. I promise to make you laugh, help you feel comfortable, and give you photos to daily remind you of the valuable people and moments of your life.