I stood in what was my studio, now completely empty with the moving truck outside, I couldn’t help but be flooded with emotion. Gratitude for all the memories, friendships, growth, creativity, and the hours of hard work that took place in that small space. Sadness to wave goodbye to such a beautiful chapter of life, and yet also deep excitement for the newness of my space to come. When we first moved into this home, the studio began as a fully carpeted guest bedroom, and I had no intention of shooting in a studio setting. I was still photographing weddings, and yet I regularly was asking myself hard questions of what was next for my business. As much as I absolutely loved weddings, they were becoming less desirable to me as our family of three little ones continued to grow.
I had a moment of inspiration when I saw an image on the internet of a baby swaddled in white, posed on a white background and it was an immediate gut-feeling. I KNEW that was for me, the direction I wanted to take my business. But I also faced the reality that I was clueless in how to pose a baby, let alone swaddle on in a pretty way! I remember laying on our living room floor that afternoon while my babies napped, with a blank notebook in front of me. I began scribbling down research and ideas, looking all over the internet for how to photograph babies. My first handful of sessions took place in a room with dingy old carpet…a testament that a creative doesn’t need the perfect, ideal space to create beautiful imagery! A few months down the road, we tore out the carpet and installed a white flooring, I added a desk and lots of framed prints on the wall, and the space quickly became my favorite in our home!
Three years later, and I look back at these favorite images from my studio with such deep joy and gratitude for where this journey has taken me and my business. So many of these images hold stories of both loss and life for these families, and also personal friendships created between us as they vulnerably shared life stories with me.
To my clients who trusted me as I just started out in this journey: THANK YOU. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for allowing me to freeze moments in time for you and your family, for allowing me to celebrate life and family with you! You are beautiful, inside and out, and I hope to continue documenting memories for your family for years to come <3
