ABOUT ME

Okay, so the name. People ask me about it all the time.

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I grew up in Manhattan, KS, and basically lived in my dad's darkroom. He was a hobbyist photographer who let his little girl tag along for everything — mixing chemicals, watching images appear on paper, all of it. I was hooked. I went on to shoot through 4-H (yes, 4-H — my dad was an instructor there too), and honestly, I never stopped loving it.

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But life happened. I ended up in the corporate world for a while, and photography got pushed to the back burner. Then my husband and I went on our honeymoon to Africa, and I bought a brand new camera for the trip. Something clicked — literally and figuratively. I came home, took a deep breath, and started my own business. I figured if I could do this every day, I'd be one happy chick. The name stuck, and that was 2004. I haven't looked back since.

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Over the past 20+ years, I've had the privilege of photographing hundreds of Kansas City families — newborns who are barely two weeks old, kids covered in smash cake, seniors who can't quite believe high school is almost over, and parents who just want one good photo where everyone is actually looking at the camera. I love all of it.

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What I care about most isn't the technical stuff (though yes, I absolutely geek out over lighting). It's the moment when a parent looks at a photo and tears up a little. It's the sibling who didn't want to be there but ends up being the funniest part of the gallery. It's capturing something real — not posed and stiff, but true.

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When I'm not shooting, you'll find me with my husband catching live music around Kansas City, messing around in the garden, or tending to my bees. Yes, bees. My dad got me into that one too. I've been stung more times than I can count and I still think it's one of the coolest things I've ever done.

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I'd love to meet your family.

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