Vision & Values
What do I stand for? What my vision for my work, and for your story?
Vision
Moments Over Poses.
I don’t want to be put into a stiff pose personally, so I won’t do it to another person. I also recognize getting in front of a camera can be awkward. So I assist with finding the right starting point, that is flattering and photogenic, and gently guide you into real moments together. It’s not even the starting point, or the guidance, that makes the magic - it’s what comes after, when you belly laugh, react to each other, reflect, or even just arrive at a pause where you connect and go quiet. I’ll be there, ready, for that spark where photogenic meets genuine.
Quality Over Quantity.
I know we live in a day and age where we consume images like never before. I too love my trusty phone cam and instagram and am grateful for the digital age that connects us. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d rather have one amazing photo to cherish than a few thousand collecting digital dust on my desktop. So I am for quality - not just technical but moment-driven quality, images that are perfect not just for settings and talent but because it’s an accurate and honest and beautiful reflection of who you are. There’s plenty of photographers who will give you quantity - but me, I want to make images that stop you in your tracks.
Westcoast Vibes.
In the best way, I aim to have the westcoast be a third person at this party. More than just a backdrop, she is a part of the story. Whether you connect to the ocean, the woods, the mountaintops, or a meadow, let’s include this amazing island in your story (or, if you’re bringing me on an adventure, let’s ensure that place is part of the story too!) I have expert level skills in including the scene not just pretty but a crucial part of the moment, influential in the atmosphere, vibe, and story within the image.
Photojournalistic Vibes.
During all my adventures around the world working for magazines or publications or NGOs, I picked up a lot of skills about capturing life in it’s raw and real, to tell an honest story beautifully, to do right by the people in the photo, and to not meddle. I have experience with documentary, candid, fine-art, and story-focused work. These skills have proven time and again to inform my local work. My goal is not just how it looked —- how it felt.
Values
Genuine.
I don’t underestimate how much poses can help people know what to do or where to look, and poses can totally help set up a brilliant composition - but I still want you to feel like yourself. I don’t let myself get so focused on a particular pose that I lose focus of the real purpose here: to capture you, at your best but still authentically.
Inclusive.
I believe everyone has incredible value and deserves to be seen. I swing my doors wide open for all. I do not discriminate based on race, religion (or lack thereof), heritage or culture, mother tongue, who you love, how you identify, nor do I discriminate based on body sizes or abilities. LGTBQT2i and BIPOC wholeheartedly welcomed here.
Beauty.
Real beauty. Raw beauty. Your real beauty and also the deep beauty of this place. I chase beautiful things for a living, with my camera in hand, but I also see beauty sometimes where others don’t. My hope is I will help you look as beautiful as you truly are without resorting to extensive photoshop or distorting the image. Because true beauty is so much more than looking a particular way - it’s who we are, what we stand for, and the love we have to give.
Giving Back.
I have seen firsthand the power photography has. I literally have traveled around the world to further the impact photography can have to make the world a better place. So I not only run, and support, my company The Giving Lens but also five local NGOs doing amazing work with single moms, indigenous empowerment, protecting our oceans, and refugee support. I regularly donate my services locally and continue to do meaningful work with NGOs around the world when not at home chasing portraits and sunsets.