Turning 26 felt like a good moment to stop and write down what the last few years have taught me. Some of these came from moving my photography business from California to Dallas. Some came from marriage, travel, and a lot of hard seasons. If you’re thinking about hiring me to photograph your wedding, this is the best way I know to tell you who will be standing behind the camera.
Starting over in Dallas.
It’s okay to start over. Dallas and a divorce taught me that a fresh start isn’t failure. It’s a door. Starting over me letting go of the version of my life I had planned and trusting that something better could be built in its place. It was one of the hardest things I've done, and one of the best.
I did need to leave California to find parts of myself. When they say everything is bigger in Texas, I think I took that to heart. Texas gave me room to grow into the person and photographer I am now. I really did learn that some parts of yourself only show up when you're brave enough to step outside of the familiar and go looking for it.
Do it scared. It might grow you. I’ve learned that waiting to feel ready usually means prolonging that which has been placed on my heart. The things that scared me the most are also the things that changed me the most in some way or another. Maybe I succeeded, or maybe I fell flat on my face, but either way I was learning something.
Your 20’s don’t have to, and probably won’t, look the way you thought. Mine sure didn’t, and I’m grateful. If you had told me at 20 where I would be at 26, I wouldn't have believed you. My life took detours I never planned for and I'm grateful for everyone. I probably would have missed out on a lot if everything had actually gone according to plan.
What love and marriage taught me.
Marrying Garrett changed the way I understand partnership. Love isn’t always the big, cinematic moments. It’s the small ordinary choices you make for each other every day. With Garrett, it looks like him writing me a note with dinner prepped in the fridge after a session or rubbing my shoulders after a wedding day without being asked, or me stepping away from editing to hang up his clothes before he comes home. It’s about noticing and making the other person feel seen and heard. That’s what I look for on your wedding day too. Not only the kiss, but for the squeeze of a hand or the way he fixes your veil without being asked.
The people who love you need your presence, not your perfection. Perfection is exhausting. It puts distance between you and the people who matter most. They don't need you flawless. They need you present. On your wedding day, the timeline might slip. Your mascara might run during your dad's toast. Let it. I'm not there to make your day look perfect. I'm there to make sure you are fully in it, and that years from now you can look back and feel it exactly as they remember.
The people who you love are part of your legacy too. Your wedding gallery isn't only about the two of you. It's your grandmother on the dance floor, your little brother crying during the vowels, your best friend fixing your dress. Those faces won't always be in the room, and photographs are how they stay. It's why I always choose legacy over a luxury label.
It's not worth it to fake it. Be authentic. I spent too long trying to be what I thought people wanted. It never worked, and it never felt good. The same is true behind the camera. That goes from my life and my wedding photography. No matter how much I love a good editorial shot, real moments always win over forced poses.
How I show up for my couples.
Busy is not the same as productive. For a long time I were busy like a badge. And I still fall into it if I'm being honest. But I try to protect my time on purpose, because a full calendar means nothing if I'm too stretched to do good work. When you book me, you get my full attention, not what's left over.
Being a photographer isn't my identity. That was a tough pill to swallow. Because photography is what I do with my whole heart, but it isn't who I am. Separating the two made me a better photographer. I'm not on your wedding day to chase the next portfolio shot or prove something. I'm there for you.
You can't have success without failure. Every mistake in my business taught me something a win never could. The missed shots, the wrong decisions, the seasons were nothing seemed to work all shaped how I run things now. Failure isn't the opposite of success, but it is part of the path to it.
The overflow can feel overwhelming. Nobody warns you that good things can be hard to. More clients, more travel, and more opportunities are all answers to prayers, and they still take adjusting to. I've learned to receive the overflow with gratitude and still give myself grace while I catch up to it.
Some dreams take longer than you think. I used to measure my progress against everyone else's timeline. Now I know slow doesn't mean never. Some of the best things in my life arrived later than I wanted, and yet were actually right on time.
Your dreams matter. They're there for a reason. The things you can't stop thinking about aren't random. I believe the dreams placed on your heart are worth chasing, even when they feel too big or too far away. This business started as one of those dreams.
Why I’ll travel for your wedding.
Travel teaches you a lot about the world around you. Every new place shows me how many ways there are to live, love, and celebrate. Every destination wedding leaves a little piece of my heart behind, from the high deserts of Joshua Tree, to the plains and mountains of Wyoming, to the coastlines of Cozumel, and the waterfalls of Hawaii. I come home with more than photos every single time.
Travel teaches you a lot about yourself, too. You learn what you need, what you can let go of, and who you are when nothing is familiar. Being far from home strips things down to what matters. That's also what makes a destination wedding so special: everyone there chose to be there.
You don't have to "niche down.” Every business coach says to pick one thing. I love intimate Texas weddings and love destination weddings across the world, and I've stopped apologizing for wanting both. Whether you're getting married on a ranch in Fort Worth or on a beach in Mexico, you get the same heart behind the camera.
The life behind the camera.
The dog you get in your 20s is never "just a dog.” Jax has been with me through moves, new beginnings, and every season in between. He's the most playful, cuddly, talkative, velociraptor-like dog and I love coming home to him. He's been a constant with almost nothing else was.
Community is huge. Find your village, and be a villager. That means showing up for people even when it inconveniences you, because someday you'll need them to do the same. My parents were on a flight to Dallas within 24 hours of my life falling apart. I've had friends help me financially without ever asking for anything in return. Community is so key, and I wouldn't be here without mine.
I am built by everything I've ever loved. My life is a tapestry of all the things I love: My faith, my marriage, my people, travel, and this work. None of it stands alone, and my photography is woven from the same threads. When you hire me, you're getting all of it.
Not every season needs to be marked by successful growth. Some seasons are for building. Others are for resting, healing, or simply getting through. I used to see those quieter seasons as wasted time, but now I see them as roots growing where no one else can see.
It's okay to change your mind. Growing means you won't believe everything you used to believe. I've changed my mind about my business, my goals, and myself more times than I can count. Changing your mind isn't flaky. It's proof you're paying attention.
You can't please everyone, and you'll break yourself if you try. I learned this one the hard way. Not every person like you, and not every client is the right fit, and that's okay. Being true to who I am let's the right people find me.
You can be content and joyful even when you're not where you want to be. Joy isn't waiting at some finish line. I can want more for my life and still be grateful for exactly where I am today. Contentment isn't settling, and it certainly isn't being complacent either. It's choosing to see the good right in front of you.
Faith and what I'm still learning.
God can handle my disappointment and isn't threatened by my questions. I used to think faith meant pretending everything was fine. Now I know I can bring Him my hurt, my doubt, and my hardest questions. His faithfulness isn't measured by how easy or good life feels, and my faith is grown most when I stopped needing Him to explain Himself.
I still don't have it all figured out, and that's okay. Twenty-six years in, I'm still learning, still growing, and still asking questions. I don't think that ever stops, and I hope it doesn't. If this list proves anything it's that the “figuring it out” is where a lot of life and the good stuff happens.
Thanks for getting to know me!
If you want wedding photos that are beautiful and editorial but still feel like you, with every real moment in every person you love woven in, I'd love to hear your story. Whether you're planning a wedding here in Dallas Fort Worth or somewhere across the world let's connect.