I wanted a great opening line for Brandi. I wanted to write an opening line that would grip you and pull you into the rest of her story. I wanted epic! But here we are. I've sat and thought for several minutes, I've gone over my notes, I've pondered Brandi and I's talks and conversations but I can't come up with an opening line that's as powerful as my friend. It's like trying to come up with one word that could describe Brandi, I just can't find one. So it makes sense that I

"I don't know that I want you to photograph me," Emma said on one of our many facetime calls. This was her first mistake as Emma said this to both her older sisters at the same time. "You wanna take this one, Melinda?" Marianne asked while trying to not (lovingly) roll her eyes. "Heck yes!" I said and then began my lecture which likely went something like this: "You've got two options, Em. You can agree to let me photograph you and be happy about it. Or you can not be happy

It's the way he looked at her. And it wasn't just for pictures. When she walked past him with a drink or snuggled with one of their daughters Eric's eyes followed and settled on Jessica. It was like he was seeing light and it was soothing out the rough parts of his soul. Even though he knew where she was his eyes searched for her, constantly finding and admiring. "You've got to get pictures of dad looking at mom," their daughters told me, smiling at one another like they were

Marianne's 1 year anniversary of her first round of Chemo was a few days ago. A year ago we were all scared but hopeful. Marianne's cancer was advanced . . . so advanced that I couldn't look up the odds of success. Instead, I focused on the positives. We focused on what was going right. We counted down. We celebrated the small victories. We laughed, we talked, we prayed, and sometimes we cried. And we took pictures. We took a lot of pictures. Our youngest sister Emma who was

Imagine dedicating 18 months of your life to selfless service in a new country or new state, surrounded by people you don't know, and having a companion at your side the entire time. Oh! And the companion will change out to a new person every 4-6 weeks. And you are paying all the costs associated with this service. What is the point? What's the goal? That is as simple as it is difficult- it's to bring people true and eternal happiness by inviting them to have a loving and fai

Remember Laura who had her senior pictures done at that old abandoned building in Sayre PA? Gorgeous, right? Well, guess who decided to bring her own talents and skills and passions in front of the camera? Laura's youngest sister, Sarah. Sarah smiles like she's not hiding anything, like there is no holding back what she's feeling. And she doesn't mince her words either. She won't follow along with any ideas if she's not feeling it. Thankfully, Sarah is an easy-to-please young

The Magnificent Morgan Women tied up the end of 2022, and I know their story is one that will continue to touch my life and inspire those who meet them. When I first met with Michelle my off-the-cuff thought was who in the world is this raven-haired goddess and where has she been hiding? As she shared her story and talked about the loss of her husband and how she faced her grief I realized this was not a woman in hiding, this was a woman who was living with an aggressive fero

"That's perfect!" Michelle's text read as she responded to my last message. I can hear her sing-song voice in my head and see her smiling face. I've never had an interaction with Michelle that didn't include her radiant optimism and sun-like smile. This is a woman of joy, gratitude, peace, and hope. When you meet Michelle you'd never guess the heartbreak and difficulties she's faced in a few short years. After the tragic and unexpected death of her husband, Michelle was left

It doesn't take much to distinguish yourself from the run-of-the-mill person. That sounds harsh but the truth of the matter is that there are people who are content to live a life of averages. Average amount of happiness. Average level of extended kindness. Average friendships. Average job. Average hobbies. Average everything. I'm not totally knocking average either. Sometimes average is all we can do and that's ok. However, I feel that living in average is not. You want to s

For you, I will do my best to make this experience the most memorable, the most unique, the most pampering, uplifting, and beautiful photographic experience you've ever had. You will get the best service. You will get loved and adored. You will get genuine praise and guidance. You will get the best I could ever give anyone. But I'm just a photographer. Of course I want you to choose me so I'll promise big things . . . but do I actually deliver? Read Maddison's mom's experie

Maddison showed up in sweats, workout shorts, and a t-shirt. You could say this is typical senior attire. I'd say you were right. She was the picture of a young woman whose life is dedicated to sports and the activity of life while also dealing with the demands of being a senior in high school. But then she pulled out a frilly soft blue dress as if to say, "I'm more than what you see." And that's been Maddison. She is tough. I first met her via facetime while she and her mom

Can I show you something? I've been passionately working on a project for over 3 years. And some components span back to 2017. Since most of you aren't photographers I'll spare you the tiresome details involved in the editing process. But instead, I share with you my love of stories. I love drama, passion, heartbreak, loss, heroism, and triumph. I love normal people doing extraordinary things. I love an everyday person doing the harder right and becoming a legend. I love a si

**My neighbor has not been photographed by me but her story touched my heart. I felt it needed to be shared sooner than later. Despite these images not being of her I still hope her story will serve and uplift you** "We're all survivors," my new neighbor told me this afternoon as she looked out over our property. She'd just told me that she'd been in foster care since she was 6 months old and while she occasionally met her mother her relationship with her, and what it could

Your pictures are about how you want to be seen. There is no trying to fit into the ever-changing beauty standards or wondering about what others will think- it's about you. What do YOU want to see? What story do YOU want to tell? Laura's senior pictures are a tribute to her uniqueness. Every look was brought together because she loved it, because she felt beautiful and confident and herself. Laura is a young woman who can do it all. She can be rough and tumble and work hard

Both mine and Shea's (Shea is my incredible makeup artist that everyone always wants to become best friends with) life is in a time of change intermixed with the chaos of heavy emotions. We've spent time talking about how we're dealing, coping, learning, and, hopefully, growing. Shea isn't just a positivity fairy who flies in, sprinkles positive words over your troubles, and then flies out. She sees purpose in the pain. She sees it as progress brought about by the experiences

"You. Are. A. Magician! So impressed on all levels!" Chris, Dawn's husband, said to me when he saw her pictures. You know what's really cool? It wasn't so much what I did that blew Chris's mind, it was the beauty he saw in his wife. It was the confidence he saw her carry, the unhesitating smile, that edge in her gaze, and that spark of light. Chris was romanced by his wife through her pictures. Ask any man and they will tell you that given the opportunity to look at the woman

Good things take time. When it's meant to be it will be. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. Time is the wisest counselor of all. All these words of wisdom apply to Dawn Krug. We waited over a year and a half for Dawn's photoshoot . . . and goodness was it worth the wait. "I just feel whole," Dawn told me a few days before her shoot. "I feel like things are settled. Before things felt out of place and heavy. I needed to take care of some things in my life t

"She's the one I want to tell everything to. When stuff happens at work, I want to tell Eryn. When something good happens, I'm excited to tell Eryn. I trust her and I want her to know everything," Jesse said as we carved our way through the back hills of New York. "I knew she was the one because I trusted her from the start. I trust her more than anyone. I've never questioned that. It's always been there." Then Eryn looked at Jesse and smiled. Life is in constant commotion. T

Sometimes, even I forget how much of a gift pictures are. In the times between handling pictures and photoshoots, I forget. But then I touch a print or I open one of my children's books or I stand back and stare at my walls . . . and I feel it. Don't ask me what the 'it' is. I don't have the words. It's something similar to reverence, wonder, and incomprehensible gratitude. Reverence because I'm so grateful for the person I got to photograph. I'm grateful for their beauty, t

"I am no longer allowing less than I deserve." It sounds so basic. But how often do we just accept the crumbs that fall from the table of life? I don't deserve that. That's only for special people. I can't have that. How often do we simply accept our own destructive habits, our own belittling way of thinking? We write them off by saying 'this is just who I am' or 'that's just how it is' or, worst of all, 'that's just how it's always been.' It doesn't have to be that way anymo