Every photographer has an origin story – that ah ha moment when picking up the camera just clicked (pun intended!) – This is my story! 

In 2016, my boyfriend at the time – now my sweet and super supportive husband – bought me my first “fancy” DSLR camera. It was the Canon Rebel T5 with a kit lens bundle from Best Buy. He took me with him to buy it because it was important to him that I have a creative outlet like he had music and dirtbikes. He even got me a zoom lens from a photographer friend so I could take photos at the motocross track.

As a finance major in college, my brain was always analyzing numbers. I rarely stopped to slow down and enjoy the world around me. For a college girl, living out-of-state, and in one of the most incredible states known for adventure, it was a testimony to how much I loved my major! One thing is for sure, the Monfort College of Business has a great thing going inside the walls of Kepner. 

As an added bonus, diving into photography helped me not miss home and everyone I loved so much. I did still miss home, but now I took my camera everywhere so I could remember the adventures and keep my family caught up on how I was doing while I was away. 

Back home in Texas, Steven and I spent a lot of our weekends were spent at the track. With him riding his dirtbike, I became more involved getting out there too to capture that time together. It would connect us. Instead of sitting and watching him ride on all our track days, I was out there with him, capturing the moments. 

I started documenting everything I did not want to miss. I quickly realized why photography was special to me. Photography allows us to relive moments that are otherwise gone. Every time I flew back to Colorado, I took those pictures with me. The trips I took in college, the road trips we have taken together since, and of course, our wedding! All we have left from those special moments are the memories and the photos. Sure we could re-do the trip, but it would never be the same.

Even before I had my Canon Rebel, I had a couple of point-and-shoot cameras. I grew up very creative, designing gifts and creating art. My dad has this framed piece of art I made that says “daddy’s girl” cut out in photos. I still remember packing that 16×24 frame into my suitcase to come home from college for Christmas! That’s something I wish I had a photo of!

I always loved taking photos, just as much as I like being in them. That did not start until past my toddler years. I was a little ham about photos and I liked to have my fun! My younger years consisted of any goofy face I could think of and a lot of picture-taking shenanigans to my mom. It’s probably why I strive to capture natural expressions now with my clients. I love that I was allowed to be myself in photos and I want the same for my younger clients (and parents) as well! 

Now, one of my favorite subjects to photograph is families with toddlers. Little kids know how to have a good time and aren’t afraid to be themselves!