Portraits

Esther - Personal branding portraits

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What makes personal branding sessions different than a traditional headshot?
Great question, I’m so glad you asked.

The short answer is that it’s more. It’s more personality, more lifestyle, more of what you do, and less of just you standing in front of a paper backdrop.
Esther for example (great name by the way) reached out to me for a personal branding session because she was starting off on a new chapter of her professional life, and wanted visual assets to represent and support that. She needed something that was the perfect balance of approachable, authoritative and badass, and she absolutely nailed it.

Anyone with an online presence can benefit from personal branding, whether they’re an entrepreneur, leadership figure, or just want to be more intentional social media.

I hope Esther being a boss makes your day a little better!

Liz - Downtown Kalamazoo golden hour portraits

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Liz kicked off warm weather portraits with all of an hour to shoot before our light was gone, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have this gorgeous girl in front of my lens.
Her outfit is unbelievably chic (hello usable pockets!) and the best part is it came from her grandmother! I guess there’s no question where she got that great sense of style.
You are fabulous in every way Liz, stay golden.

Kristin - Kalamazoo portrait session

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When Kristin and I met at a photography workshop last winter, we knew we had to work together on a creative project. With wedding season winding down, it was the perfect time to do just that!
Not only is Kristin a super talented model that is essentially a modern day warrior princess, but she’s the sweetest ever to spend time with, and also has mad skills behind a camera.

We took advantage of an unseasonably warm Thanksgiving weekend to adventure around one of my favorite Kalamazoo locations, for some moody portrait magic. I can’t wait for future projects with this amazing person!

Emma - Portage senior photos

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Emma arrived to our location in the cutest floral pants I have ever seen, and I knew this was going to be an excellent shoot. Then Emma's mom tells me they've been planning on having me take her senior portraits for years, and I pretty much am dying from just how honored I am. 
This girl is sweet, and talented, and can rock any pose without prompting! I have no doubt incredible things are in her future. 

Abby and Shane - Downtown Kalamazoo engagement

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Abby moved to our beloved, but temperamental mitten state from sunny Florida, and it wasn't long before she met and fell in love with Shane. They are both adventurous, love to travel (especially to NY) and complete each other in all the perfect ways. During their engagement session, they let me lead them all over downtown Kalamazoo shooting, and laughing along the way. It's such a thrill to know them, I can already tell that their Skydeck wedding with be the stuff dreams are made of!

Molly and Devin - Kalamazoo engagement session

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When I first met this couple I could tell they were something special. Molly has such a vibrant energy that compliments Devin's steady personality perfectly. When we were talking engagement photo ideas, they mentioned the restaurant where Devin proposed, and I couldn't have been more thrilled to include the location in their portraits (Also, Principle is flipping fantastic and easily one of my favorite spots in the city). The weather may have been bitterly cold that day but they were both troopers in the outdoors, and you would never know it to look at the photos!

Seeing how easy they were to photograph makes me extra pumped for their wedding in June!

Mandie - Kalamazoo winter portraits

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When the day of Mandie's portrait session arrived, it was a balmy 7 degrees outside. Was that going to stop us from taking some killer photos? Heck no. Not a chance. 
I love the opportunity to find new locations, killer light and studio time. We even managed to grab a few outside, this lady is a true champion!

Mr and Mrs Fish - A Lawton wedding

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The moment Stephanie and Ryan started describing their wedding plans to me, I knew it was going to be completely stunning. 
Stephanie's sisters had their own weddings at the Lawton Community Center, and it held a special place in her heart. She wanted to preserve the tradition, but with her own personal twists, which were executed perfectly.  
This wedding is exactly why encourage doing a first look so much!
First of all, Ryan's face! I melted!
Second, we had so much time to do portraits that we were able to work with the most ideal lighting, get plenty of photos for everyone, and still have time to sneak out for a few more at sunset. 
Third, they actually got to spend their special day together instead of being cooped up in separate rooms, and that was amazing to watch. They both have so much love for each other, and I can't imagine a better celebration. 

Also, fireworks, 
Yes. 

Congratulations Ryan and Stephanie! Looks like there is one less fish in the sea.