I have been an artist all my life. Creating art through painting, drawing and photography. Through my experiences in life I'm always reinventing and redefining who I am. I'm a mother, daughter, wife, friend and an artist. My mind is always open to new ideas and possibilities. I like to discover the dreams of someone or something and make them come to life on a canvas or in a photograph. I can be stubborn, independent, and sensitive and through this I embrace my imperfections and learn from them on a daily basis. I'm focused, yet easily diverted, but always reliable. Beauty surrounds my life in so many ways and I like to envision what I see for the viewer in the many aspects of my creative ability.

I have grown up in the suburbs of St Louis, Missouri. Although moving around the area a great deal growing up, Missouri has always been my home. I've traveled to many places in the world and embraced each artistic and phenominal place with open arms and wide eyes. I am married with two children. I've almost made it through the teen years.

I like the finer things in life, yet I'm simple at heart. I like to wear heels, dress up in nice dresses yet love to wear jeans, flip flops and nice fitted T's. I love to have dinner with friends, roses, candles, music, read a good book and spend time in my art studio. I love children's laughter, and the smell of cut grass on a summer day...

Photography has always been a love of mine. There is so much artistic energy built up inside of me and this is one of my many outlets. I don't just take pictures. For me, this is an art. A good photograph moves me. It captures personalities. It takes me to a place and moment in time. Photographs allow you to remember and there are so many layers to the memories you can create.

Location, location, location...

Most of my business is generated from local areas, however, I do travel upon request. Please inquire.

I encourage you to read the following articles:

Why Custom Photography?

Why are Professional Photographers so expensive?

Portrait Session Info

Expect to have fun! Expect amazing images! Expect to have beautiful art for your home!

Please bring a positive attitude and happy children! Help to ensure this by choosing your shoot for the time of day when your child is the happiest! No problem, right?

I will encourage your children to play while having their picture taken and to have fun! So whatever you can do to start the day off in that direction will get us there just fine.

What to Wear

Texture

Pick pieces that are playful and full of texture. Textured fabrics look great in photographs. Things like denim, cable knits, sweaters, corduroy, linen and eyelet dresses are excellent choices.

Layers

Layer clothing for a fun look or choose accessories and hats to jazz up an outfit. We can remove, adjust, and add elements to an outfit to create a variety of styles.

Color

So many colors to choose from!

One approach is to choose a bold color and pair it with neutrals like denim, beige, sage green, grey, or navy. Jewel tones such as deep purple, sapphire blue, turquoise, ruby red and emerald green are a few great color choices. Mixing solid colors with textured clothing can create a special dynamism in the image.

Style

The most important thing is that everyone is dressed in clothes they like and feel comfortable in. For group photos, it's best to put all family members in the same color tone and a similar style. The blue color family is the most complimentary color on every complexion. Dark colors like chocolate brown and navy are a great alternative to black as they do not loose their dimension and texture in a photograph. Avoid dressing family members in contrasting colors. For example, do not dress your children in white and then have the adults in black. This creates too much contrast in an image and photographs poorly.

Our sessions are at casual locations, so choose clothing that is fun. Solids are always a safe choice and choose clothing that is classic in style as it tends to create a more timeless look. Hats, headbands and barrettes are a great way to jazz up and outfit. Collared shirts with rolled up sleeves and jean or khaki shorts look great. Choose t-shirts that have details like v-necks, embroidery, or lightly ruffled sleeves. For boys Polo style shirts are another good choice.

Avoid bright colors like orange and red as they tend to highlight ruddy undertones in your skin. If you have fair complexion do not dress in light colors and pastels as these color will wash out your coloring in a photograph. Textured fabrics photograph beautifully, denim, cable knits, sweater, linen and eyelet dresses have great textures and are excellent choices.

If the photograph includes more than one individual, remember to coordinate clothing so that everyone is dressed in a similar style and choose clothing that is similar in tone.

What Happens Next?

After our photo shoot, I will display the photos on this web site for you to view and proof your images. I've found that my favorites aren't always my clients' favorites, so I leave the choosing up to you. From the web site, you can choose 10-20 images that you would like me to edit. This is where the magic happens... where your photos go from a picture to a piece of art.

After I edit the photographs, I repost the final images under password protection. From there, you can view, share and order your images. Sound like a bit much? No worries! I'd be more than happy to sit with you and walk you through the process.

Sessions typically last 1 - 2 hours.