Ethos

ἦθος (ethos): a greek word roughly translating to habit, custom or guiding beliefs… AKA a fitting word for a formally trained classicist to explain my approach to wedding photography.

Setting Expectations

I am a photographer and my main goal is to capture the day that unfolds before me, not forcing artificial moments, but capturing the honest and real ones with an eye for high emotion, color, and unseen moments. Rather than acting as a director, I tend to take a stand back and observe the scenes in front of me without any pretense or judgement. I do this while also making sure that we get the “important” photos too: family photos, bride and groom portraits, bridal party photos, first looks (if that’s your jam). These just won’t be the highlight of your day as I want to make sure that you spend the most time with all of the people who have come to celebrate you. The majority of your wedding day gallery will be all of the genuine and unposed, candid, and unexpected moments of your wedding day: your grandma giving you a spontaneous hug, a wistful look between you and your father, a dance floor faux pas. I can promise you one thing: Your wedding day with me won’t feel like a photoshoot. Even further, I emphatically promise you that your day will not be spent primarily with me. It is so rare to have all of the people that you love in one place and I want you to truly enjoy your time with family and friends. Remember: the photographs are about the wedding day, the wedding day is not about the photographs. If this statement resonates with you, then I would absolutely love to work together and I think that we would be a great fit. 

Built on Trust

All of my work is built on a foundation of trust and friendship with my clients. I never want to be a source of anxiety leading up to your wedding day and I want all of my clients to trust that I am there in their best interests. Trust that I do not expect anything from you. I don’t expect you and your partner to perform in front of my camera in order to “get the photo.”  Trust is the key. Moreover, I care about fostering this connection together which is why I limit the amount of weddings I take per year. My goal is to show up to each and every wedding clear headed and open to capturing whatever the day has to offer. My aim is that this trust & relationship will allow you to feel calm and at ease in front of my camera on your wedding day. From the moment your inquiry hits my inbox to the delivery of your final gallery, I am truly invested and devoted to telling the story of your wedding day and all of this starts with trust! 

Practically Speaking

With all of that said, what is the actual process of working with me like? What are the practicalities? Here is a general outline of “next steps”! After inquiring, I will send over my pricing guide and some other fun stuff to look over! Next, I like to hop on a quick phone or Zoom call just to chat with you and make sure that we are the right fit before formally deciding to work with each other. This phone call is a zero obligation call and simply for both of us to explore the idea of working together. After the call, I will send over my contract and invoice for you and your partner to look over. Once the contract is signed and a 25% deposit is paid then your wedding day is officially penned into my books! If you booked an engagement session with your wedding coverage, this is a great time for us to meet in person prior to the wedding day.. For engagements, I love visiting places that are special to you: coffee shops, evening walk locations, etc. but I am always down to offer suggestions for locations as well :) The rest is smooth sailing until your big day. About one month out, I like to have a quick Zoom call just to touch base with you and get an idea of the general timeline of the day. On the day of your wedding, I arrive and the magic happens from there! I offer one all-day package which puts zero time restraints on us: when you arrive, I will arrive and when you leave, I will leave! I find that having zero time constraints puts less pressure on everyone and allows for the best retelling of your wedding day.

You have questions, I have answers

  • Yes! Should I pack sunscreen?! I currently offer wedding packages for all weddings in Texas and New Jersey with no travel fees and am able to provide you with an all-inclusive destination wedding package for all inquiries not in Texas or New Jersey! 

  • For weddings, my turnaround time is 6-8 weeks and for engagement and all other non-wedding sessions it is about 1-2 weeks.

  • In the age of self advertising and little-to-no regulation on extant claims, I totally understand this concern. Since formally starting my business in 2021, I have been hired over 175 times whether for wedding, couples, and portrait photography. I am experienced in photography in all lighting conditions and have taken beautiful photographs in bright direct sun, a torrential rainstorm, a tornado watch, and an underground ceremony space (just to name a few, lol). You can absolutely trust that I have the expertise to capture your day in whatever way that it unfolds. I also always bring backup equipment in case any of my main equipment fails (which has never happened!) This includes bring extra camera bodies, lenses, batteries, flashes, etc. to your wedding day to ensure that your photographs are safe with me. 

  • Yes, when needed I am able to provide your wedding venue proof of insurance! Just let me know!

  • Just me, myself and I! I find that shooting weddings solo makes for the most seamless day with all parties at ease! However, if it makes sense to look into having a second photographer, I am able to offer adding on a second shooter to your wedding package.