This year has been hard.

Not just for me, but for so many people I know and tons of people I don’t. It seems like we’re all collectively welcoming in the new year with a big sigh of relief and hope for a new beginning as we give a big middle finger to the one behind us. Of course, hurt isn’t restricted to 2017, but it just seemed to come in a big wave for me. Myself, along with so many of my friends are navigating big changes and challenges that will alter the trajectory of their lives moving forward. It’s been painful to walk through it with them, but that’s what we do right? We show up. I certainly don’t have solutions or answers all the time, but I can offer myself, my friendship, and my time. Sometimes, it means bringing my camera and documenting big moments.

I know that we’re used to inviting someone to photograph life’s happiest moments. We see so many photos of weddings and babies, which are great and welcome, but I was thinking about all the life lived in the in between. What about all the big moments that define us in more subtle ways? I’m excited to explore that space creatively, starting now.

Here’s to a new year, a new path, and a new apartment for my friend Sam. We sat in an empty room and talked about the future. The excitement, the fear, and the freedom to be who you are. We talked about parenting our sons and what it means to show them a strong mama who refuses to sit passively on the sidelines of her life. We talked about the symbolism of a new apartment and the possibility of a new year. We burned sage and cast positive intention over her space. Here are some of my favorite captures from some introspective time well spent.

Remember when I said that I wouldn’t shoot another wedding? Well.. never say never friends. It was still challenging and the day still left me with sore feet and tired eyes, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I know Donna through one of my oldest friends, so when she was looking for a wedding photographer, I jumped at the chance to put myself in the running. I knew it would be a great chance to visit Idaho again. It just felt right, so I was thrilled when they chose me to capture their day.

Donna and David said ‘I do’ in sweet little city outside of Boise called Nampa. Their event venue was in the quaint little downtown area full of shops with a beautiful rose garden just a quick drive away, which was perfect for their first looks pre ceremony.

Here are my favorite shots from the day.

My recent trip to the mountains of Guatemala left me deeply in love with the beautiful people of this rich country.

The purpose of our trip was to show people of political influence the success of Food for the Hungry’s (FH) work on fighting chronic malnutrition while recruiting advocates for United States foreign aid. While many of our friends of Capital Hill happily think well of FH’s work, it’s another thing entirely to offer them a first-hand experience, to walk the trails to community gardens, shake the hands of leaders, witness the smiling faces of healthy children, listen to the personal accounts of mothers, and see the charts documenting growth milestones. Being there makes all the difference and we need all the help we can get.

A recent survey of Americans revealed that a shocking majority of people believe that over 25 percent of the United States national budget is dedicated to foreign aid, when that number in fact only represents about one percent. However, that penny on the dollar investment in the people of other nations, not only represents the expected Christian humanitarian response to need and suffering, it’s also the most economical way to bridge foreign divides and create allies, reduce the need for military interventions, and stimulate global economies.

I know our guests from Washington went home to a new perspective and a more open heart for the poor. If they were anything like me, they not only saw the need and the poverty, but they saw the richness of the people there. They saw their culture and their devotion to their communities. They saw their ability to be self-sustaining and learn. They saw image bearers of God living in a beautiful place full of possibility. I’m honored to have experienced this beautiful place. These are some of my favorite photos from the trip.

Sean,

Standing next to you on this day is one of the single greatest joys of my life. It’s a celebration and I think marriages deserve that. We deserve that. Ten years is a long time, especially when it’s the space where we’ve grown up. We’ve had the privilege and responsibility to help one another discover the space we want to occupy in the world. We’ve been able to form our identities and shape the trajectory of our lives together. It’s been an honor to watch you grow into the man I know you’ve been striving to be. I feel a lot of things today, but mostly just accomplished and proud.

Proud of work and the time we’ve put in.

Proud of the intentional decisions we’ve made about how we raise our son and what kind of parents we will be, what kind of person we hope he will be.

Proud of the fights because they pushed us. They begged us to examine an area of our lives and get on the same page, process hurt, and forge a way forward.

Proud that after every storm, we find our way to the shore once more.

Proud that although we’re no where near perfect, we keep showing up each day.

Marriage has humbled me and made me better. It asks me to give first and sacrifice my own desires for the betterment of our relationship, home, and family. It’s still a challenge and I still regularly fail at this, but I’m thankful that you’re there to give me the safety and space to try again.

Thank you for the late nights you’ve held me in your arms while I sobbed after feeling victimized by my own inadequacies. You’ve given me exactly what I need.

Thank you for your unwavering confidence. With you I know that no idea is too big and you’ll always support my ideas no matter how crazy or unlikely they seem. You’re happy to see me succeed and you’re my biggest confidant.

Thank you for balancing my intensity and bringing me peace.

Thank you for reminding me that there’s life to live and my checklist will always be there.

Thank you for helping me craft a family culture that includes creativity. I’m so grateful that you’re always up for a photoshoot in the name of art or that our favorite conversations are dreaming up our next big project. No creative venture is off limits and I know in 50 years, we’ll have a lifetime of art to show for it.I love building that legacy with you.

Thank you for the way you love me and the way you love Harvey. You’re everything to us.

I’m honored to spend my life with you and I’m so excited to see what’s to come in our next decade. I love you with all I am. More, more-er, and more-est. Happy anniversary.

– Your Wife

These amazing photos are courtesy of Jay and Jess Photography.

Makeup by the talented SN Makeup 

Charith and Michael are expecting their very first baby and these parents are so excited to welcome him into his home. They’re photographers, painters, and all around creative people, so that means they have a deep desire to celebrate their life through art. I know this feeling all to well. So, when I started talking to Charith about a maternity shoot, we knew that we wanted to do something special. I also knew I had to incorporate her global and eccentric vibe. When I suggested a milk bath shoot, we were sold.

One of the things I love most about photographing people I love is that I know them in a way that is difficult to describe. It’s just intuitive. I feel like I have a special gaze into what works and what doesn’t work. I guess some call it vision. I have a specific mood in my mind that I know will translate into an image that fully represents the person. I want them to look at that image and feel like it embodies them and is exactly how they want others to see them.

Sometimes it doesn’t work out like I planned and other times it is absolutely perfect. I’m so honored and proud to share some of my favorite images that really made me proud to be behind the lens doing something I love and honored to create imagery that will be cherished in this family’s life forever.

Coffee:

Milk:

I hope you loved looking at these as much as I love taking them.

The voice of Siri instructs us to turn. I’ve been here many times, but for some reason always get a little nervous that I won’t know the way. We pull in the parking lot and the I glance at my watch. We have about 45 minutes until sunset. This should be enough time if we get going. The entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden is just as beautiful as you’d imagine. I remember how much I used to hate desert landscape and how I thought that the big full trees with changing leaves was the only real definition of landscaping beauty. These days, I can’t get enough of this rough and southwest terrain. I think I just had to come into my own. This is the perfect backdrop for a family photoshoot.

As much as I like to plan most things out, a photoshoot tends to be the opposite. I like to see an idea and act on it. There’s a chance that it won’t work out, but there’s a chance it will.

Sneaking baby smiles, tickling tummies, and splashing in the water all made this afternoon special. Capturing memories and being a part of family’s story is such an honor. Every time I do this, I think… I should do this more. Maybe I will. Maybe I’ll own this part of myself and grant permission to be happy behind the lens.

Many thanks to the Nardone family for letting me follow them around for a bit and document their sweet family.

A few short weeks ago I photographed my first (and possibly my last) wedding.

When my dear friend casually asked me to photograph her wedding, I was kinda stunned. I immediately said yes, but the weeks and days leading up to the event had me in an internal panic. I’ve never shot a wedding before and I hadn’t really ever intended to. They seemed so stressful and I thought it was so clearly outside my skill set. I researched and rented new lenses for my camera, I created a shot list and a timeline, and I (in painstakingly great detail) walked myself through the day many times. I was nervous, but thrilled at the same time.

Dawn isn’t the kind of bride who had a whole host of preconceived ideas and monumental expectations. She trusted me to do my thing and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. I set out to do a good job, and while there are a ton of things I wish I would have done differently, I know I accomplished my goal. While I have no intention of becoming a wedding photographer, I feel more confident that I can do it. Here are my favorite captures from their big day.

I couldn’t have done it without my wonderful husband. It was such a pleasure to do something I love with him by my side. He kept me calm, encouraged my ideas, helped me pose, and even took some fantastic shots himself.

I learned a few things, including:

• Large zoom lenses are extremely heavy
• Bring a charged backup battery
• Dad jokes can do wonders on a person who refuses to smile
• Large families and dark spaces are stressful to photograph
• Bring snacks for yourself because you probably won’t get a chance to eat
• Use your surroundings and improvise
• Sandals without a sole probably aren’t a good idea
• Don’t let your props out of your sight
• Sparkler photos take practice

Ultimately, I’m pretty proud of myself and I know that both Dawn and Stefano have pictures they’ll be happy to have in their family for generations to come. I’m honored to have been such a big part of their love story.

I can with all honesty say that photography is one of my favorite hobbies. I really feel the need to try new things and stretch myself in my photos, but I also feel the freedom in it being a hobby. While I take a few freelance projects on from time to time, for the most part, I use photography to document my own life and creative journey. I finally feel like I can explore and make mistakes without the stress of letting someone down if my images didn’t meet their expectations. It’s just fun and I love it.

Last Christmas we got Harvey a play camera from Willow and Bass and while he’s played with it a few times, it hasn’t really been his favorite toy. The other day I was playing around with some new lenses and taking some test shots. He was immediately interested in what I was doing. He quickly ran into his room, dug out his own camera from the toy box and proceeded to take my picture while saying “cheese” while pushing the top button over and over. I was able to capture a few shots of him playing with me. I love how these came out and I’m so happy to share them.

I’m absolutely on board for him discovering his own interests and passions, but there is a deep part of me that loves the thought of us going on photography trips together, pushing the other towards better images through friendly competition, and all around enjoying something in common. As he gets older, I’ll continue to foster his interest in photography until he just doesn’t want to do it any more. I hope that day never comes because seeing this baby with a camera around his neck gives me all the feels.

It’s no secret that I love Shakespeare. I’m a big fan of the Bard and spent a considerable amount of time working for a classic theatre company who primarily focused on the works of Shakespeare with a few other classic playwrights mixed in. I haven’t really had a chance to be involved with theatre in quite some time, so when Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival asked me to do the press photos for their upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, I was beyond thrilled. I met up with the cast at their rehearsal space and along with the Director of the show, we managed to capture some of the pure joy of this show. Here are my favorites from our time together.

If you’re in Northern Arizona or just want to take a drive,  this show, as well as their production of Romeo and Juliet, is going to be amazing. If you’re not in the area, you can always support them through their IndieGoGo Page.

The winds have welcomed you with softness,
The sun has greeted you with it’s warm hands,
You have flown so high and so well,
That God has joined you in laughter,
And set you back gently into
The loving arms of Mother Earth.

— Anon, known as ‘The Baloonists Prayer,’ believed to have been adapted from an old Irish sailors’ prayer

The Mister and I opted for a hot air balloon ride this year instead of a staycation, which is how we typically celebrate our anniversary. I enjoy capturing moments in time through monuments and celebration. They help to solidify time periods and separate the years. For me it keeps the days and years from blending into one another. I can identify them easier and I love knowing I’ll be able to look back and remember this very specific day without any trouble. That’s comforting to me for some reason.

We set our alarm clocks for 3:30am and arrived at met up with Rainbow Ryders who then took us by bus to our launch site. The whole process was mystifying and magical, peaceful and calm. It was something special and I’m so happy we enacted our sense of adventure and celebrated this way.