"I'm not comfortable having my picture taken."
Have you ever said that? Because I say that a LOT.
So why say that here? Because when you hate having your picture taken, you tend to be the one taking the pictures. For birthdays. For anniversaries. For vacations. And when you're the one taking the pictures, it means those little moments--the ones that are so special, and so meaningful, and the ones you'll want to look back on for years--will only ever exist as a memory.
It's why I go for a documentary style with all of my sessions. It's hard to stand and pose for a camera. What do I do with my arms? How should I turn my head? I don't like my smile! Add kids to the mix, and it can be more stressful than enjoyable trying to have pictures made. I want to change that.
I want to capture your family, as you authentically are. Whether you are on vacation and hoping to go home with memories of your trip, you are looking for annual portraits to hang on the wall, or are celebrating a milestone event like a birthday or engagement, I want you to look at your gallery and say, yes, this is us.
My Why
My photography journey started after my son was born in 2016. I suffered severe antenatal and postpartum depression with my son, leading to a change in jobs where we did not have the income to hire a photographer. I had an old DSLR and bought an off-brand 50mm lens to try and capture some of the magic I admired from photographers I followed on instagram--and quickly discovered that I had a knack for capturing authentic moments of my children on the hikes we took, both as a family, and with the non-profit Hike It Baby.
This seemingly niche talent led me on a life-changing path. I got to know other photographers with a similar style to mine, and fell in love with seeing how happy the families I hiked with were to see themselves and their children in the natural element. I could do this, I thought. I could make this my career.
Then, in early 2019, my mother passed away after a long fight with breast cancer. When I was going through old pictures for her memorial service, I realized the only pictures I had of us together when I was an adult were from my wedding--almost ten years prior. We both hated having our pictures taken--but now pictures were all that were left, and I didn't have the one shot I so desperately wanted.
These experiences are what drive my vision. I want to go where you are happy--your favorite trail or secret picnic spot, your backyard or the beach where you got engaged. I want to shadow you for a few hours when you are vacationing on the gorgeous coast in Maine, and document your private exchange of vows on your elopement.
The future holds no guarantees, but photographs can freeze a moment--a moment that may one day be all that is left. Photographers see clients at your most intimate and often most vulnerable moments, and I am deeply aware of the immense privilege that comes with captures those moments. It would be my honor to be trusted with yours.
-Stephanie
