UNPRETENTIOUS

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE WORD?

I do. I picked mine at the age of 16 while reading a devotional: unpretentious. I could not stop thinking about that word.

That word felt almost sacred to me—a word that meant something could simply be itself, nothing more and nothing less.

I’ve always wanted that word to define me. I think at the root of that is just to be genuine, not having to twist and turn to be who I am but just to simply be... That’s exactly how I approach photography. I want to capture what’s actually there. I want you to look at a photo and see yourself, like, really, really just see yourself. I want to catch your child’s giggle, their shyness, the things  that make them, them, in a way that makes you say, “Wow…that is SO her.” That’s how photos become heirlooms.

One of the things I hear most after a session is how relaxed it felt, how easy it was—even when they expected stress. That’s because I approach sessions like we’re just hanging out. It’s okay if your kids can’t stand still for more than 2 seconds, there’s beauty in them squirming around... If your pre-teen won’t smile or dad just isn’t into photos, that’s okay too.

The real beauty I aim to capture isn’t in how you look, but in the way your family interacts.