Meet the Artist

My current focus in my photo work is on creative, conceptual family and child images.  I really love learning about what a family or child is into, or sometimes what a parent is into that they think would be fun for their child to be doing in an image.  It could be as simple as an animal they are into and then creating an image where they are on an adventure with or on that animal.  Sometimes it might be combining a bunch of interests together into one image like a mom in a dress with power tools.  I like the idea of bringing out an element of a person that wouldn't normally be seen in a basic portrait and adding it in as a prop or costume or setting or activity or creature.  I like to use my photography and fine art and theater background to create a story around each person. Creating custom photographic art that they would want to showcase long-term and not replace year after year.  

My background as a photo retoucher and from my apprenticeships in NYC in the fashion and celebrity photography realms also inspire how I work and add some flare and magic to the images I create.  One of my main inspirations is surrealist artist Rene Magritte. His quirky compositions and interesting twists and beautiful colors and outfits and props I find super inspiring. I also just find people inspiring, someone's way of dress, their hair or mannerisms, interesting knickknacks that people collect.  Inspiration is everywhere when I take those moments to look and listen.

My favorite art to have in my home is actually the artists I come across in person and something of theirs speaks to me.  I can't even think of a piece from a museum I would rather have than the special pieces I have purchased that already live in my home.

When I was younger I used to love to draw and paint. I thought I was going to become an illustrator, but at some point in college I thought about if art was my job what would that look like. I ended up falling in love with photography and how many options were available in this art form and being able to create at a faster speed than with drawing or painting.  Given that, I got into retouching and compositing work with photography, and I still spend hours and hours creating images, but I don't feel an urge to go back to drawing or painting. I am, however, grateful that they gave me the foundation to be able to translate those skills into my photo work.  I often feel like my initial photo is the background sketch and my time spent in Photoshop is like painting layers of mood and color over that initial sketch.

My camera would have to be my most indispensable item, with my computer and drawing tablet a close second.

Sometimes I will know an image is finished because I will step back and have a very visceral feeling, an "ahhhhhh" moment where I just know it is done.  This seems to happen less and less the more I create, so often I have to be OK saying to myself: “This is good enough for now,” because otherwise I might never finish anything.  As photography moves between my fine art work and commercial or commissioned work, often a deadline has to dictate a stopping point. As I do more and more, I have realized that some projects might not be my favorite, and that has to be OK. 

For the past decade I have done my work out of my living room or out in nature.  I am so excited that I currently have my very first official studio space being built.  It is a simple, one-room building with a bathroom and two large walls for me to photograph against.  My office will move in there, and I am excited to bring plants and my own collection of treasures into the space to decorate and welcome people in.  

I also do creative work for businesses of all types and for creatives and entertainers to promote the work they do.