It’s important we get to know each other to make sure we’re a good fit cause trust me, it matters.
I’ll go first.
Whether this is your first time hiring a photographer or not, I think it's important you know what you’re getting into because you deserve the experience of yours dreams and more, which is what I want to give you.
Photographing people I love in the places they love wherever that may be is what lights up my soul. There’s nothing more important to me than my people, exploring the world, and instilling confidence in others.
When I'm not photographing beautiful people I’m actively exploring new places and meeting new faces. I'm a golden girl bounced between the Northern California coast and the majestic redwood trees. Getting out in nature is where I feel most alive, but I also enjoy eating vegan baked treats and sipping on an iced matcha latte from One House Bakery in my hometown of Benicia, California.
I'm a self-proclaimed professional speed walker and I travel through life with my PIC: partner-in-creativity, Austen. Read our love story below. We take a lot of photos, but rarely get one together. Austen is a filmmaker and travels internationally producing marketing, commercial, and documentary films for companies.
My hair wildly ruins 70% of Austen's photos and you can almost always find me bundled up in cozy clothes. Comfort > cute always. Austen thinks coffee should be a major food group and created the most insane, never-ending bucket list for us to accomplish.
In 2022 we welcomed a Samoyed pup named Indy (Indy Sama Jones) who's a sassy little sweetheart.
Unfortunately our original wedding plans were cancelled due to COVID, so we finally celebrated our wedding in Italy on October 4, 2023. It's been a journey, so I can give you all my tips and tricks and relate to all my busy brides.
In July of 2024 we will be welcoming our baby girl and cannot wait to bring her along on all our adventures.
This is our life and we plan on living it adventurously and doing some good along the way because you know...YOLO.
If you connect with what I’ve said, I’m thrilled we are on the same page. If we sound like a good fit, contact me below.
Do we sound like a good fit?
Whether you choose to: have a traditional intimate wedding ceremony, explore mountain tops while the sun dips behind the peaks, take a road trip across the plains, trek through a slot canyon in the desert, take motorcycle ride along the coast, make blueberry pancakes in your home and take a walk through your neighborhood, love on your pups, whatever your adventure is I want to document the feelings of it all.
FUN FACTS
Our Love Story
'Meet Cute'
It all started when my dad swiped right. Driving two hours to meet a guy my dad swiped right for seemed a bit insane, but some sort of energy out there made me do it and I'm so thankful I did.
Flashback two days earlier: I was home from grad school for a long weekend and decided to download Bumble. As someone who has spent most of her time in long-term relationships I never really had the opportunity to date, so what better way to start through Bumble, I guess?
I sat down on the floor next to my dad on the couch and opened the app. He leaned over my shoulder and asked to see how it worked. I handed it to him and before I could explain anything he started swiping "ummm, that has consequences, Dad!"
He went through a few guys then stopped at a guy named Austen from Santa Cruz whose profile photo was of him in a racing suit next to a Formula car–hence why my dad stopped swiping (he loves Formula racing). Excitedly he said; "Ooo what about him? Maybe you can ride in his race car" and showed me the profile.
I said, "Eh I don't know, he seems a little 'showy."
He swiped right anyways saying, "Maybe he’ll give me a ride in his race car then.”
We matched instantly. Per my dad's excited request, I messaged Austen asking him about the race car photo and our conversation flowed from there.
He had the most interesting questions and the most authentic answers. We found out we attended the same college at the same time, were leaders in our Greek Life organizations, and our majors shared the same building for all our classes…but we never officially met.
Because of our ironic college similarities we both joke today that the Universe was pushing us toward one another, but the timing was not right.
Austen ended up inviting me to visit him after two days of messaging. For some illogical reason I said yes. I told my dad I was going to drive two hours for a half-day hangout and he thought I was crazy, but I reminded him it was his fault for swiping right, haha.
Off I went and that is the start of my favorite story to tell.
Proposal
Austen convinced me he was filming a sunglasses commercial in Utah, so we flew out and hiked around taking photos and filming sunglasses. This type of thing isn’t really out of the ordinary until he told me he didn't pack any stabilization for his camera……Austen has the shakiest hands and I knew something was up when he didn’t pack his stabilizer.
We spent the morning hiking the beautiful Bryce Canyon and as it was nearing lunchtime he wanted to keep hiking, but I was ready to go eat. He made me walk up this big hill as I complained that the exit was the other way. The whole time we were hiking he was looking for the perfect spot while answering all my silly questions about this fake commercial. When we got to the top he handed me his phone and said, "The sunglasses company just sent me this inspo video, watch it." I took his phone and watched as his face appeared on the screen saying, “Don't turn around until this video is over,” (along with mushy cute stuff) then a selfie video from our first anniversary of him saying, “I’m going to marry you someday, but all good things take time…” (Later I asked where I was when he took the selfie video and he said he made me go get us water, haha).
7 minutes of video clips from our life and travels and I'm tearing up asking if it's almost over, so I can turn around and hug him already. Once the video ended I turned around and he was on one knee. It was a cry fest, we both were in tears, laughing and hugging the tightest hug.
Wedding - 1 of 2
Fast forward through countless bucket list adventures and wild rides spending all of 2019 in a different country each month. After our engagement in 2020 we planned our intimate wedding for 02.02.2022 in Costa Rica. We chose a destination wedding because we love to travel and wanted to experience and provide an adventure for our families. Unfortunately our numerical obsession got the best of us because two days before the wedding my sister (MOH), father, then the day before Austen got COVID. We lost out on everything and spent our wedding weekend quarantining in our room while we watched our friends party in the backyard of the rental we booked as our venue for the week.
We had lots of time to connect over our quarantine in our room and while we were connecting (and crying) we realized our tears were not from losing out on money, or the time in Costa Rica, but we were sad because we both really wanted to have OUR wedding. Being in the industry we film and photograph all these beautiful love stories and each one makes us more and more excited to celebrate in our unique way. Having to wait longer to celebrate was what made us the most sad.
After lots of tears and a bittersweet honeymoon trip (yup, we still went to Peru for a month) we finally started replanning our DREAM wedding. This time we focused on what WE truly wanted and didn’t make any sacrifices.
We will be getting married on October 4, 2023 in a stone courtyard in Puglia, Italy surrounded by our family and closest friends (16 guests). We chose a venue all our guests can close by and enjoy a long weekend together. I also hired my dream vendors who have been the best investments ever–they have created excitement in me again about planning a second wedding. We are so excited to finally celebrate all of the love we have fostered through our relationship!
Wedding - 2 of 2
We finally had our dream wedding. It was the best day of our lives and all I want is to make sure you feel the same at yours. I'll let the photos and film do the talking.
Pro tips: Videography should be at the top of your wedding wish list and I highly recommend doing a 'Day After' photo session, it was our favorite part :)
Photos with feelings
You know that feeling when you stumble upon a photo of your parents when they were younger? The idea that someone took the time to intentionally capture these moments saving the stories behind them in history forever brings warmth to my heart. This is what fuels my purpose for what I do.
Behind every photo there is a feeling and a memory and I want to be there to intentionally capture it.