While my love for photography began with A birth,
it was the death of a client that fueled our passion.

The year was 1995 when my niece was born. It was love at first site and inspired me to document every little sweet moment of her growing up. After that, I never put the camera down. Right away I was drawn into the adrenaline of setting up photos with her. Wether it was a field of flowers or at the local park, I couldn't wait to see what we could create. I loved the anticipation of waiting for the film to be developed, to seeing the reactions of joy on my families face... I was hooked. 

4 years later it was my senior year at Vero Beach High School.  One day I felt myself nervous to go to my beloved photography class (shout out to Mrs. Sesack) I wasn't nervous about the class or the project that was due that day. I was nervous because of a boy that was in the class. Yes, you guessed it! That boy was Danny. I will never forget one time we were all in the darkroom printing out our next assignment. Danny was at the station with all of the filters. As I reached over to grab the case of filters, the unexpected happened!  I accidentally knocked his photo paper while it was being developed. I had just ruined his project and I was mortified! Thankfully, Danny was chill about it all and just started over. If there is one thing to know about Danny's personality, it is that he is a go with the flow kind of guy. This character trait goes a long with our unpredictable line of work. Bad weather? No problem. Cranky kid? Well, there is a reason why they call him the baby whisperer. Danny's chill vibe resonates with clients during each photoshoot. August 18th, 2001 we were married. To this day, if you ask Mrs. Sesack, she will tell you with a smile that she is takes credit for the two of us being together. 

The years went on with college classes, exploring career options and living life in our twenties. The one thing that never changed, was my love for photography. But could I make it a career? Back then, there were very few female photographers in Vero Beach. Family and Wedding photography was just transitioning into something new. The odds weren’t in my favor, and one local male photographer made sure I knew it. He dismissed me outright, labeling me as just a "mom with a camera" (MWAC). But I was ready for him. I looked him straight in the eye and said, "I’m not a mom—just a photographer," and walked away. One thing to know about me is that I love a challenge. From that moment on, I was determined to be one of the most successful photographers in Florida. 

When you are young, success looks very different. The focus of it can be on how much money you make or how many followers/likes/comments you have on social media. While all of that can feel great, it doesn't last. All of that, simply put, is temporary. It was early 2014... a day that I will never forget, a day that changed my view on success forever. I was in the kitchen and I hear Danny yell from the other room, "OMG! Rusty B. died!" I immediately ran to the other room asking him "how?". He replied "from cancer". I felt a sigh of relief, because I thought that Danny had the wrong person. We just photographed Rusty and his family 2 months prior, so it was impossible that this could be true. But it was. Rusty lost a very short battle with Acute Leukemia. This moment changed me as a person and as a photographer.  With each family session we photograph, I keep in my mind that this very well could be their last. And if it is going to be their last photoshoot together, I better damn well make it the best photoshoot that they will cherish forever. 

Another moment in my life that shaped my view on family photography was while watching a Pixar movie. There is a scene in my favorite movie,"UP".  It's when the boy scout Russell is telling the old man about his favorite thing that he use to play with his dad. He ends the story by saying "It might sound boring, but I think that it's the boring stuff that I remember the most"  I hope that I can inspire clients to be more like Russell. You don't need fancy or trendy outfits. You don't need the most perfect weather. You need each other.  I want families to grow up and say years down the road, "You remember that one time we did pictures on the beach? That was so much fun" or even "You remember when we did pictures on the beach with 20 mph winds? That was a crazy time, but we sure had fun" 

Next year, we will be celebrating 20 years of photographing families. We might not have the catchy Tik Tok videos or the most followers on Instagram. What we have is way more important. We have the success of providing over 1,000 families with photographs that one day will likely be the most treasured item they own.