Then vs. Now
I wanted to post a “glow up” of my work. From when I started to where I’m at now.
As photographers, we get so wrapped up in what everyone else is doing and comparing our work to others, that we forget to compare our work to our own. To see how much growth has happened.
July 2018
This was the very first maternity/gestation session I ever did on a very close friend of mine (she owns a fantastic lash salon called Salty Lash in Carlsbad, CA now) who is utterly fucking amazing. With her gallery I’m actually really proud of it as my first “real” session. I would do everything differently now since I know more 😂 but the biggest issue I had here was highlights and blowing them out.
August 2018
My very first Fresh 48 session. This was a model call again because I had never done one before, and was so excited to connect with this family. This was such a cute session, as they brought their first born in during the end. Lighting was difficult but it was great practice.
December 2018
This was THE very FIRST birth I photographed on a DSLR. It was a Canon 80D crop sensor (for those who aren’t a photographer it is not considered a “professional” camera 🙄 What the fuck ever, you do what you gotta do.) This was a model call birth and I learned SO much from this birth and am still so utterly grateful they allowed me to “practice” in their birth space.
*Fun fact: I actually donated breastmilk to this family for their first born when they were newly pregnant with the baby I ended up photographing! We didn’t know that until she applied for my model call and put two and two together 🥰 Talk about a small world.
May 2019
This lifestyle maternity/gestation session was for a fellow birth worker and someone I’m super close with (she was always my back up 😉). I absolutely loved everything about this session and it has been my first and only beach session (I’m not a fan of the beach 🙃😂).
June 2019
This is such a special birth, Graham and Beau 💕 I photographed this birth with my first “professional” full frame camera, a Canon 6D Mii. It was a few births in with my newer camera and already so much growth from my first birth.
June 2019
I am finally figuring out Fresh 48 sessions here. The lighting the angle. I loved each of these photos in this gallery, and a few of them were actually in the top 10% and 20% of an image competition 🥰 I felt like during this time, I really started finding my style and voice in my photography.
March 2020
This was the first birth I attended at the beginning of the pandemic. It was also a few births into using the camera I currently use, the mirrorless Nikon Z6. I felt so confident at this birth in my use of lighting and storytelling. Growth was definitely happening and consistency in my style was really becoming apparent.
August 2020
This client was actually supposed to be a birth client but I wasn’t able to make their birth because of undiagnosed HELLP syndrome and an emergency cesarean. This Fresh 48 Session was both photo and video and was so awesome as they had their ENTIRE family there at some point.
January 2021
This was.a last minute snow maternity/gestation session for a fellow birth photographer. It was dreamy and I was loving the play on dark green colors in this session.
*I’m totally excited for more snow sessions when I’m in Minnesota, I seriously can’t freaking wait.
February 2021
My most recent birth. One that I’m super proud of, and one that was rad AF to attend. I was confident in my equipment and movement in the birth space. AND I was way more confident than I’ve ever been in my editing skills.
so much growth has happened.
It was incremental so it’s been difficult to see as I’m going through the process, but placing my photos next to each other like this, my mind is blown 🤯 I feel like I’ve come such a long way in a short amount of time.
The countless hours at births and sessions, the trainings, the trial and error, are all paying off. I’m proud of my images. I’m proud of my business. And I’m so fucking honored every time a client hires me.
dear photographers
I know it’s easier said than done, but PLEASE STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS. It steals your joy. It steals your confidence. Yes it’s totally fine to look up to someone or want to be “like” someone, but you are YOU. Your images are a reflection of yourself. It is YOUR art.
So often my images are critiqued as being too magenta, but that’s what I like. It’s MY style. And that’s not for everyone, but my clients hire me for my style and the images I produce.