portraits

powerful

are

hot take

Wherever we go, we’ll make it meaningful—and we’ll have a damn good time while we’re at it.  

Of all the portraits that fill the world’s galleries and private collections of art aficionados, there’s one thing I can say with absolute certainty:

Not a single piece from their arsenal could hold a candle to photos of your own.

And if your family is anything like mine, your shared history is marked by plenty of iconic portraits—you know the ones:

— Mom posing with her wedding hat and puffy bridal sleeves from the 80s
— Grandpa standing in an empty field with a shovel, breaking ground to build the home where you’ll gather for every Christmas to follow
— Halloween with the cousins at age six: Three costumed kiddos serving up the deepest side eye the world has ever seen (You know it was taken moments after “Just one more!”)

For me, it’s a photograph of my parents I’ve come back to time and time again as I sift through the giant Tupperware bins of photographs at my grandma’s house. Mom is pregnant with me and wearing hot pink bike shorts with a striped crop top to match (you go, girl). My dad is standing next to her, wearing jean cutoffs and an ugly turquoise tank top. For 1989, the fashion choices check out. But here’s the thing that’s stuck with me about this photo over the years:

My parents were so young—barely out of high school. You could see it all over their faces. Still, they chose bravery. They chose me. And that bravery is the reason I’m here today. Bravery is what I come from. This photo solidified that fact for life, and for that, I’m so grateful.

It’s time to start building a collection of your own. Build it for you and for your children as well. Cut to twenty years from now: What will they learn about you from these portraits? What will they learn about themselves?

I’m grateful to offer portrait sessions to my wedding photography couples to mark their engagement—what better way to get cozy in front of the camera before the big day? I also offer a limited number of bridal and anniversary portrait sessions as my calendar allows.