Artist Statement

In photography, I've found a way to make people happy... besides the creativity, this is what I love most about it. The feedback seems to tell me that I make people feel better about themselves, love each other more... If this is my life work, I accept it.

"Make me look beautiful..." a mother of four asks of me as we find poses, angles and fabric to hide her size. Her friend writes me secretly days later how much the shoot meant to her, how desparately she wanted to FEEL beautiful, not just look beautiful. I saw the pleading in her eyes the moment I met her. We both turned it into fierceness... It is both of us working through fear... that is the psychology of photographing people...

My fear is easier to sort through... Will this person let me in? Will I capture that moment that she is brightest? Am I making the most out of a set, out of lighting and angles, of colors, props, clothes? Their fear is one of exposure... Each person gauges instantly what they will show me, what they will hide behind.. A big showy smile, wide scared eyes... Almost all of my clients begin a shoot this way, always with held breath. They all need permission to drop it, to be themselves, to shine... Tapping into people comes natural to me. I try to break down barriers faster with each successive shoot.