March 14, 2019No Comments

BEST OF 2018 | PORTRAITS

Yesterday I posted my favorite wedding photos of last year; today it's time for all the fun of senior portraits, engagements, the cutest families, and a few drone shots sprinkled in for fun. And maybe even a puppy. It was a year full of color, delightful and unique people, and never too much time on Lake Michigan beaches.




December 5, 2018No Comments

KELSIE + HARLEY | GRAND RAPIDS, MI COUPLES SESSION

Kelsie and I first met several years ago while last-minute filling in as models for another photographer's styled shoot (since I know y'all are curious, I'll include some of those shots at the end ;)). We instantly connected over our shared passion for goofiness and photography, and have photographed lots together since then (pretty much all the photos I ever post of myself were taken by her) and shared the joys and challenges of our respective photography journeys.

I was so honored and excited when she chose me to do this portrait session with her and her husband. They wanted something that showed their personalities, so we got as weird and silly as we wanted to and it was great. We were kicked out of a parking garage, hid behind a dumpster, and recreated a section of Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam".

And now! For the photos from the day Kelsie and I met, shot by Paige Gabert Photography

Wardrobe: Lamb Bride

Florals: Damsel Floral

Hair + Make-Up: Cheeky Strut + Siren & Proper

Film scanning + processing: The FIND Lab

 


March 8, 2018No Comments

Sarah (or, a study in why I love living in a city with a million other photographers)

When I first moved out to Grand Rapids over three years ago, a local photographer told me, "GR has the most photographers per capita of any city in the country. Good luck coming out here and getting work, you'll have way too much competition." Not the most encouraging thing to hear, and definitely intimidating, especially since I was far from confident in my capability to be a full-time photographer at that point. But I quickly realized that it's so freaking cool to live in a city with such a thriving arts community. And as much as there may be cons to living in a city inundated by photographers, there are way more pros. One of those pros has been making incredible friends who are as passionate about photography as I am; who are creative and talented and genuinely wonderful people; who inspire me with the way they view the world and create art. I've grown so much as a photographer these past few years, and that has in large part been due to the incredible people I've met and worked with. I can say with confidence that I would not be the photographer I am today if I did not live in a city with such a thriving photography community. Is there competition for clients? Absolutely. Do I have to hustle hard to get the work I want? Fo shizzle. But it makes it so much easier when I have friends hustling alongside me. People who are just as driven, excited, creative, and confused as I am. Who inspire me, and who I can inspire. It's been the bomb. I can't wait to meet more of my fellow GR photographers, and continue to be challenged, influenced, and encouraged by them.

Sarah is one of my new-in-the-past-few-years photographer friends. She's exuberant, passionate, genuine, and always up for getting out to shoot just for fun, which is what we did this night. Danced around to Justin Timberlake, let Sarah's new hat take the spotlight for a while, and left the night feeling revitalized by each other's creativity, and by taking a break in the midst of a crazy busy season to be funky with our cameras just for the heck of it.

*special bonus*: scroll to the end, and you'll see some shots of me that Sarah snapped. Also be sure to check out more of Sarah's work here and here.

Life's more fun when we include others in our trials and joys and creations. Thankful to have friends like Sarah alongside me.

April 26, 20173 Comments

Annie + Stephen | Proposal

This was one of my favorite shoots of the year thus far. The lighting was terrible restaurant light, the shots were taken hurriedly and surreptitiously, and therefore these photos aren't technically perfect. But I've found that genuine emotion is what makes an image truly memorable, and boy were the emotions in abundance for this night.

When Stephen asked me if I would photograph his proposal to Annie, I ecstatically agreed and immediately cancelled all my previously made plans for that weekend. Annie is a dear friend, a truly delightful person, and a kindred spirit, and I was thrilled at the thought of being there for that moment for the two of them. There was so much joy that came from seeing someone I love so dearly agree to spend the rest of her life with someone who treasures her as much as she deserves.

As a photographer, this shoot was stressful and difficult--unpredictable moments, the challenge of keeping myself inconspicuous while also getting all the important moments, and the difficulty of dealing with terrible restaurant lighting and waiters swirling all around me. But I loved every second of it. One of the things that delights me about being a photographer is capturing real moments of emotion and creating art out of them. There is something so beautiful about the genuine love these two have for each other, and I'll take photographing that any day over a shoot in a perfect location with perfect lighting and perfect posing.

Because there is nothing more perfect than love.

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Stephen proposed with a journal -- he had many of Annie's closest friends write her notes in the journal, and interspersed throughout their writings, he had notes of his own and memorabilia from dates they had gone on.

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At the end of the journal, he had burned a hole in the pages and nestled the ring down inside the hole, and had written "will you marry me?" on the page opposite. She checked "yes".

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Cheers and all my love to you two <3

p.s. Many thanks to Sava's Restaurant for being so accommodating and providing the perfect setting for the start of this happily ever after story 🙂

February 22, 20175 Comments

Kelsie | Summer in February

I never thought I'd catch myself saying February is my favorite winter month. Usually it's full of cold and gloom and sludge and everyone being relieved that it's the shortest month of the year. But this year, I think February is having an identity crisis, because it's been a tropical paradise for nearly a week. We're talking days inching into the 60s, windows down everywhere, and harsh light and shadows in glorious abundance. Even as I'm sitting here writing this, I'm looking out the window and thinking about a dip in Lake Michigan.

So thanks to my friend Kelsie, who is fierce and funny and has a rad bee tattoo, for joining me in chasing after that warm sun glow this past Saturday.

 

 

November 18, 2016No Comments

Demmon | Senior 2017

One of my favorite senior sessions to date -- Demmon is such a kind soul, and also RIDICULOUSLY photogenic. Made my job too easy 🙂

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July 16, 2016No Comments

Summer light, and the livin’s easy

This night was perfection. The light, the flowers, and the gorgeous Kelsie. She is a photographer as well, and we had a blast frolicking around in the field with our cameras together 😉 Check out some of Kelsie's awesome work here.

 

 

 

 

I can't get over how awesome that tree was. So much personality.

Caedy is a Grand Rapids, Michigan based photographer who loves the mitten state and loves to explore outside of it.