A Senior story in Greer, Sc

This was so much fun! I was recently able to spend an afternoon following around these two High School seniors. Both are going off to college in the fall so we decided to document a typical afternoon. If my kids turn out half as awesome as Maddie+Steitler, then we will be doing pretty good!

I love to photograph family life+relationships but I am especially drawn to spaces and how people interact with them, so my favorite part was photographing Maddie+Steitler in their bedrooms and hearing their thoughts on their spaces+things. Every decoration+trinket has a special significance and helps tell the story of who they are. It felt really good to put a documentary spin on “Senior Portraits” and help preserve memories of this season for them!

Congratulations Maddie+Steitler! xoxo

The Eagles Nest in Anderson, SC

“In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting—any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’ The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”
— C.S. Lewis

Early last summer these three roommates, who dubbed their home “The Eagle’s Nest”, wanted to document a typical loungy morning before one of the eagles got married and left the nest. These girls have been such a great example to me of the complex beauty of friendship, accountability, iron-sharpening-iron, and all the great stuff that comes along with being brave enough to love and be loved by others.

The Wilson's Story in St Louis, MO

“Think of how still you stand when your picture is being taken, as the photographer captures your likeness on film. God has one eternal purpose for us: that we should be ‘conformed to the likeness of his Son’ (Romans 8:29). But in order for that to happen, we must stand still. We hear so much today about being active, but maybe we need to learn what it means to be quiet. ”
— Streams in the Desert

NEWS: Contact The Define School for information about an opportunity to work with me one-on-one for a 4-week mentorship on Storytelling Photography. 2 spots are available and open on April 12th. Content is tailored to your needs but possible topics include: Seeing Composition Creatively; Planning+Executing a Family Documentary Session; Website or Portfolio Critique; and of course plenty of Q&A. Contact info (at) thedefineschool (dot) com for more information.

The Puttman's Story in Portland, OR

“To know ahead of time what you’re looking for means you’re then only photographing your own perceptions, which is very limiting, and often false.”
— Dorothea Lange

The Nicholson's Story in San Jose, CA

“If our children’s lives are the sea floor, we need to leave the gold all over it, everywhere, in little bits. We can’t do it in one big nugget. We can’t even do it in a bunch of medium chunks. We have to leave gold through their lives in a fine dust that’s spread all over everything. At the end of our children’s lives, we hope it is worth a fortune. But at any given moment it is the little things that contain the gold. The gold is quick forgiveness. It is quick repentance. It is cheerful smiles and tender hugs. It is teasing and laughing. It is loving. It is Daddy throwing yet another wrestle party all over the house. It is dinner. Regular. Predictable. It is having physical needs looked after. It is being disciplined. It is being challenged. It is being educated. Being made to do something you didn’t want to. It is not being the boss. It is not getting away with lying. It is knowing who to talk to. It is knowing you will feel better when you do. It is security. It is joy. It is every day. It is life. It is knowing your faith, and knowing that it is your parents’ too. It is knowing your people and being known by them.”
— Rachel Jankovic