I want you to look good in your photos, but I also want you to recognize yourself in them. Most people aren’t professional models and I don’t think they should have to know how to pose. I’ll give direction, fix the little things, and help when I can make something better. Then I know when to back off and let you be with the people you actually came to be with.

The people are a huge part of why I love this job. Families are funny and complicated and everyone shows up a little differently. I don’t need people to act a certain way for me or fit some idea of what a wedding, family, or relationship is supposed to look like. My job is to meet people where they are, make them comfortable, and pay attention.

When you look at these photos years from now, I want you to remember more than what you looked like. I want you to remember who was there, what everyone was like together, how much fun you had, and what that part of your life actually felt like.