• I had the privilege of capturing Paige + Kelly’s wedding celebration this weekend - even though it wasn’t the New Orleans bash they had originally planned, they still got to make their commitment to each other surrounded by their family and closest friends. It was absolutely beautiful in every way.⁣ ⁣ I’ve always been a big believer that your wedding day shouldn’t be the highlight of your marriage. It’s a moment that deserves a celebration, certainly, but I’m increasingly clinging to the idea that we don’t need the most stunning venue or the most gourmet dinner menu or the most insane florals to make a marriage worth celebrating. The wedding industry is just that - an industry - designed to sell us things, and while I’m a part of that industry, my soul gravitates toward the value of experiences over aesthetics; to the people you love over what’s popular. Your love and your commitment to one another deserve nothing less than a celebration that is true to *your* values and *your* priorities, not the spreads in a fancy magazine or the styled photos on Pinterest or whatever your sister/cousin/coworker/judgmental Facebook friend did for their wedding. All that to say: I’ve fallen in love with intimate weddings and I hope they stick around long after “social distancing” has left our daily vocabulary. Anyone else feeling it too?
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    I had the privilege of capturing Paige + Kelly’s wedding celebration this weekend - even though it wasn’t the New Orleans bash they had originally planned, they still got to make their commitment to each other surrounded by their family and closest friends. It was absolutely beautiful in every way.⁣ ⁣ I’ve always been a big believer that your wedding day shouldn’t be the highlight of your marriage. It’s a moment that deserves a celebration, certainly, but I’m increasingly clinging to the idea that we don’t need the most stunning venue or the most gourmet dinner menu or the most insane florals to make a marriage worth celebrating. The wedding industry is just that - an industry - designed to sell us things, and while I’m a part of that industry, my soul gravitates toward the value of experiences over aesthetics; to the people you love over what’s popular. Your love and your commitment to one another deserve nothing less than a celebration that is true to *your* values and *your* priorities, not the spreads in a fancy magazine or the styled photos on Pinterest or whatever your sister/cousin/coworker/judgmental Facebook friend did for their wedding. All that to say: I’ve fallen in love with intimate weddings and I hope they stick around long after “social distancing” has left our daily vocabulary. Anyone else feeling it too?
  • Lengthy self-reflection on my white privilege is work that I can do privately, so I’m not here to make a diary entry and center myself in a conversation that is meant to champion + advocate for Black people in America.⁣ ⁣ Instead, I’m using my corner of the Internet to commit to donating at least $20 a week to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color every single week through 2020 and beyond - that means orgs + non profits fighting for racial justice; activists + authors who spend time creating resources to educate us; and victims of racist violence.⁣ ⁣ Tonight, I’m supporting the National Bail Fund Network and the James Scurlock memorial fund. If you’d like to join me, please visit blacklivesmatters.carrd.co and click Donate, or click More Resources and read their thread on how to help if making donations isn’t something you can do right now. Going forward, I plan to share in my Stories every Sunday about where I’m donating. This is perhaps the easiest possible way to commit to anti-racism after it’s no longer 24/7 news coverage and trending topics (and by “easiest” I mean it’s not the only thing you should be doing - but it’s a great place to start). I’d really love for you to join me. Put it in your calendar. Set a weekly reminder. It really doesn’t take much at all.
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    Lengthy self-reflection on my white privilege is work that I can do privately, so I’m not here to make a diary entry and center myself in a conversation that is meant to champion + advocate for Black people in America.⁣ ⁣ Instead, I’m using my corner of the Internet to commit to donating at least $20 a week to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color every single week through 2020 and beyond - that means orgs + non profits fighting for racial justice; activists + authors who spend time creating resources to educate us; and victims of racist violence.⁣ ⁣ Tonight, I’m supporting the National Bail Fund Network and the James Scurlock memorial fund. If you’d like to join me, please visit blacklivesmatters.carrd.co and click Donate, or click More Resources and read their thread on how to help if making donations isn’t something you can do right now. Going forward, I plan to share in my Stories every Sunday about where I’m donating. This is perhaps the easiest possible way to commit to anti-racism after it’s no longer 24/7 news coverage and trending topics (and by “easiest” I mean it’s not the only thing you should be doing - but it’s a great place to start). I’d really love for you to join me. Put it in your calendar. Set a weekly reminder. It really doesn’t take much at all.
  • Sunday brunch isn’t quite the same right now, but honestly? My preferred scenery for sipping a mimosa or a French 75 is in my backyard, barefoot, with my Fleetwood Mac playlist on shuffle. Although I 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 wouldn’t say no to sitting down in front of a southern benedict at @brqrestaurant right now (pulled pork + pulled chicken with poached eggs = perfection) 🍳 Wishing you a lovely Sunday!
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    Sunday brunch isn’t quite the same right now, but honestly? My preferred scenery for sipping a mimosa or a French 75 is in my backyard, barefoot, with my Fleetwood Mac playlist on shuffle. Although I 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 wouldn’t say no to sitting down in front of a southern benedict at @brqrestaurant right now (pulled pork + pulled chicken with poached eggs = perfection) 🍳 Wishing you a lovely Sunday!
  • Since my weddings and portrait sessions have been put on hold, I haven’t really picked up my camera in weeks. And then a thought popped into my head - how I’ve always loved the way a fine-art style photograph can contrast with a seemingly mundane or ordinary subject, like….a field of cows. So I posted on Facebook asking if anyone had access to some cows I could photograph, and within an hour I had set a date and time to drive out and capture some images of these sweet things. I even got some beautiful floral scraps from @forage_br to turn into a wreath for some of the cows to wear….except the cows tried to eat the flowers, which I can’t blame them for, since it was dinner time.⁣ ⁣ Often, I feel like hobbies can’t just be fun…they have to be achieving some transformative goal or making money for them to be worth my time. If I’m reading a book, it’s non-fiction and it’s probably some type of self-improvement text. If I’m taking photos, it’s for a client. If I’m designing graphics, it’s probably for my own business. Every time I’ve tried something new, I get discouraged and give up if I’m not quickly mastering it - take a quick look at my drawer of abandoned watercolor paints and brushes for proof.⁣ ⁣ Obviously, this is a very silly way to live life. And it took an album full of cow photos to remind me that doing things just for the fun of it - just because you want to - is 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 worth your time.
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    Since my weddings and portrait sessions have been put on hold, I haven’t really picked up my camera in weeks. And then a thought popped into my head - how I’ve always loved the way a fine-art style photograph can contrast with a seemingly mundane or ordinary subject, like….a field of cows. So I posted on Facebook asking if anyone had access to some cows I could photograph, and within an hour I had set a date and time to drive out and capture some images of these sweet things. I even got some beautiful floral scraps from @forage_br to turn into a wreath for some of the cows to wear….except the cows tried to eat the flowers, which I can’t blame them for, since it was dinner time.⁣ ⁣ Often, I feel like hobbies can’t just be fun…they have to be achieving some transformative goal or making money for them to be worth my time. If I’m reading a book, it’s non-fiction and it’s probably some type of self-improvement text. If I’m taking photos, it’s for a client. If I’m designing graphics, it’s probably for my own business. Every time I’ve tried something new, I get discouraged and give up if I’m not quickly mastering it - take a quick look at my drawer of abandoned watercolor paints and brushes for proof.⁣ ⁣ Obviously, this is a very silly way to live life. And it took an album full of cow photos to remind me that doing things just for the fun of it - just because you want to - is 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 worth your time.
  • Taking this down time to comb through past work and tweak things while I polish up my website, and I came across some images from Erika & Nick’s engagement session that didn’t get enough love from me the first time around. ⁣ ⁣ As a photographer I can often identify my favorite set of images from a shoot pretty quickly...but I love coming back to a gallery and catching the fleeting moments like this one that I might have skimmed over the first time. More than anything, I love how Erika & Nick’s personalities jump out of every image from their session. In an ideal world we’d be venturing out to San Juan again in a month to celebrate their wedding, but I know this just means their 2021 celebration will be that much more joyful & exciting 🌴
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    Taking this down time to comb through past work and tweak things while I polish up my website, and I came across some images from Erika & Nick’s engagement session that didn’t get enough love from me the first time around. ⁣ ⁣ As a photographer I can often identify my favorite set of images from a shoot pretty quickly...but I love coming back to a gallery and catching the fleeting moments like this one that I might have skimmed over the first time. More than anything, I love how Erika & Nick’s personalities jump out of every image from their session. In an ideal world we’d be venturing out to San Juan again in a month to celebrate their wedding, but I know this just means their 2021 celebration will be that much more joyful & exciting 🌴
  • I captured this sweet image of Logan and Will forty-one days ago (!!), and it simultaneously feels like it was a year ago and also just the other day. ⁣ In my last post I mentioned that I haven’t been active here because I really don’t know what to say, and I still don’t. The world doesn’t really need my voice adding to the noise by reflecting on my privilege in the midst of all this. So, I wrote and erased this caption a few times before I realized it would be a great opportunity to spotlight some local organizations and people doing wonderful things: ⁣ ➊ Meredith of @forage_br, who had gone full-time with her floral business in January after working as an ICU nurse...until covid-19 happened, and she went right back to nursing to help those in need. Not only is she an immensely talented florist, but also a genuinely good person. Meredith, I admire you so much and I am so grateful for your hard work!⁣ ⁣ ➋ @shiftsupport, coordinated by Sarah Joy Hays of my favorite local bakery, @counterspacebr. Shift Support has been fundraising to purchase meals from local restaurants to feed our local nurses, PAs, doctors, and healthcare pros. I cherish the BR food scene and I am so grateful that Shift Support lets us take care of our healthcare workers while also supporting beloved local eateries. You can Venmo donations directly to “shiftsupportBR”!⁣ ⁣ ➌ I can’t stop thinking about our local creatives and makers during this time - I love that @midcitymakersmarket and @localpopup make it so easy to shop + support them right now! If you’re gonna boredom shop (guilty 👋🏻), you might as well shop local, right?!⁣ ⁣ I’d love if you would hop into the comments and tag the people + local orgs that are doing great work right now, so we can heap our gratitude on these wonderful humans and support them however we can! ❤️
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    I captured this sweet image of Logan and Will forty-one days ago (!!), and it simultaneously feels like it was a year ago and also just the other day. ⁣ In my last post I mentioned that I haven’t been active here because I really don’t know what to say, and I still don’t. The world doesn’t really need my voice adding to the noise by reflecting on my privilege in the midst of all this. So, I wrote and erased this caption a few times before I realized it would be a great opportunity to spotlight some local organizations and people doing wonderful things: ⁣ ➊ Meredith of @forage_br, who had gone full-time with her floral business in January after working as an ICU nurse...until covid-19 happened, and she went right back to nursing to help those in need. Not only is she an immensely talented florist, but also a genuinely good person. Meredith, I admire you so much and I am so grateful for your hard work!⁣ ⁣ ➋ @shiftsupport, coordinated by Sarah Joy Hays of my favorite local bakery, @counterspacebr. Shift Support has been fundraising to purchase meals from local restaurants to feed our local nurses, PAs, doctors, and healthcare pros. I cherish the BR food scene and I am so grateful that Shift Support lets us take care of our healthcare workers while also supporting beloved local eateries. You can Venmo donations directly to “shiftsupportBR”!⁣ ⁣ ➌ I can’t stop thinking about our local creatives and makers during this time - I love that @midcitymakersmarket and @localpopup make it so easy to shop + support them right now! If you’re gonna boredom shop (guilty 👋🏻), you might as well shop local, right?!⁣ ⁣ I’d love if you would hop into the comments and tag the people + local orgs that are doing great work right now, so we can heap our gratitude on these wonderful humans and support them however we can! ❤️
  • I haven’t posted anything on Instagram in nearly 3 weeks. I haven’t known what to say. I still don’t, but I’m trying to move into the “acceptance” stage of grief about all of this. Grief for our healthcare providers who are making sacrifices nobody should be asked to make. Grief for my friends whose businesses are shuttered. Grief for the ever-increasing number of people suffering. Grief for opportunities lost and happy moments postponed. I’ve realized there is no right thing to say except that this will not be forever. Oh, and STAY HOME! ❤️
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    I haven’t posted anything on Instagram in nearly 3 weeks. I haven’t known what to say. I still don’t, but I’m trying to move into the “acceptance” stage of grief about all of this. Grief for our healthcare providers who are making sacrifices nobody should be asked to make. Grief for my friends whose businesses are shuttered. Grief for the ever-increasing number of people suffering. Grief for opportunities lost and happy moments postponed. I’ve realized there is no right thing to say except that this will not be forever. Oh, and STAY HOME! ❤️
  • Some pretty for your morning Instagram scroll, courtesy of this bridal bouquet from @forage_br in case daylight saving time has you down and the coffee just isn’t hitting this morning (👋🏻 yeah, I’m talking about myself). On the plus side, I can’t wait to rock those 7 PM sunsets after a loooong, dark winter. What’s got you most excited for spring? 🌱
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    Some pretty for your morning Instagram scroll, courtesy of this bridal bouquet from @forage_br in case daylight saving time has you down and the coffee just isn’t hitting this morning (👋🏻 yeah, I’m talking about myself). On the plus side, I can’t wait to rock those 7 PM sunsets after a loooong, dark winter. What’s got you most excited for spring? 🌱
  • Hey there 👋🏼 I’ve been off the grid for a minute and I see some new faces, so it’s the perfect time to do some #fridayintroductions⁣ ⁣ Here’s the lowdown: I’m a full-time IT professional + part-time photographer living in Baton Rouge, LA with my husband Jas and our sweet chocolate lab/Catahoula mix, CJ!⁣ ⁣ Me in 5 adjectives: caffeinated, empathetic, loyal (#enneagram6 in the house!), prepared, + passionate⁣ ⁣ Me in 5 foods: my mom’s latkes, mac + cheese (preferably in fried form at Plucker’s), summer rolls w/peanut sauce, Nutella-filled crepes, + iced espresso (of course).⁣ ⁣ Ok, that was a LOT harder than I thought... if you had to tell me about yourself with 5 foods, what would they be?
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    Hey there 👋🏼 I’ve been off the grid for a minute and I see some new faces, so it’s the perfect time to do some #fridayintroductions⁣ ⁣ Here’s the lowdown: I’m a full-time IT professional + part-time photographer living in Baton Rouge, LA with my husband Jas and our sweet chocolate lab/Catahoula mix, CJ!⁣ ⁣ Me in 5 adjectives: caffeinated, empathetic, loyal (#enneagram6 in the house!), prepared, + passionate⁣ ⁣ Me in 5 foods: my mom’s latkes, mac + cheese (preferably in fried form at Plucker’s), summer rolls w/peanut sauce, Nutella-filled crepes, + iced espresso (of course).⁣ ⁣ Ok, that was a LOT harder than I thought... if you had to tell me about yourself with 5 foods, what would they be?
  • Wanna go behind the scenes? Swipe → to see me in action capturing this exact shot!⁣ ⁣ You might know my day job is in IT support, so it seems pretty standard that I would have a creative outlet through photography. In reality, though, I think my day job and photography intersect so much more than they diverge!⁣ ⁣ Photography is allllll about problem solving. What you don’t see in that behind the scenes photo are all the gears turning in my head while I’m composing this shot, like⁣ • Is my exposure dialed in right? I need to make sure I don’t overexpose, so I can keep the detail in her dress⁣ • What’s the best angle for me to be at? Is there anything distracting in the background?⁣ • What do I need to tweak to make this pose super flattering?⁣ ⁣ I can never 100% predict what's going to happen at a session or a wedding - instead, I focus on being prepared and confident with everything I have, so I can meet those unexpected moments and figure out what to do on the fly. It's not all that different from my day job at all, really - and that's what makes it so fun. I get to stretch all those creative problem-solving muscles in a whole different medium (and I still get to do a heavy dose of geeking out, too - technology, y'all, it's wild).⁣ ⁣ Now that I've been thinking about this, I'm curious: what do you do for a living, and what's your personal 'creative outlet'? Are they completely different, or do they actually align with each other? Let me know 👇 Shout out to my friend Alison of @southernorchidphotography for capturing this BTS shot! ❤️
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    Wanna go behind the scenes? Swipe → to see me in action capturing this exact shot!⁣ ⁣ You might know my day job is in IT support, so it seems pretty standard that I would have a creative outlet through photography. In reality, though, I think my day job and photography intersect so much more than they diverge!⁣ ⁣ Photography is allllll about problem solving. What you don’t see in that behind the scenes photo are all the gears turning in my head while I’m composing this shot, like⁣ • Is my exposure dialed in right? I need to make sure I don’t overexpose, so I can keep the detail in her dress⁣ • What’s the best angle for me to be at? Is there anything distracting in the background?⁣ • What do I need to tweak to make this pose super flattering?⁣ ⁣ I can never 100% predict what's going to happen at a session or a wedding - instead, I focus on being prepared and confident with everything I have, so I can meet those unexpected moments and figure out what to do on the fly. It's not all that different from my day job at all, really - and that's what makes it so fun. I get to stretch all those creative problem-solving muscles in a whole different medium (and I still get to do a heavy dose of geeking out, too - technology, y'all, it's wild).⁣ ⁣ Now that I've been thinking about this, I'm curious: what do you do for a living, and what's your personal 'creative outlet'? Are they completely different, or do they actually align with each other? Let me know 👇 Shout out to my friend Alison of @southernorchidphotography for capturing this BTS shot! ❤️