You’ll probably notice that my portfolio has a lot of birds and wildlife mixed in with portraits. Wildlife photography is actually a big part of how I learned to use my newer equipment, and I think a lot of what I’ve learned from it carries over into photographing people.

For one, wildlife photography requires a ridiculous amount of patience. You can spend a long time waiting for something to happen and wildlife shots can't be forced. I carry that approach into my portrait photography. I don’t want every photo to feel overly posed or forced. Sometimes the best photos happen in between poses, when someone starts laughing, looks at the person they love, or just forgets about the camera for a second.

Photographing birds and wildlife has also taught me to pay attention and be ready for moments that happen fast. A bird might sit on a branch for ten seconds and then suddenly take off, and you have about half a second to get the shot. With people, it might be a quick laugh, a look between a couple, or a kid doing something completely unexpected. Those little moments are some of my favorite things to photograph.

I also spend a lot of time shooting outdoors, so natural light is where I’m most comfortable. I love warm evening light, pretty backlighting, trails, fields, trees, and locations that give us room to move around instead of standing in one spot posing the entire time.

Whether I’m photographing a family, couple, senior, or someone who just wants some good photos of themselves, my goal is pretty simple: I want you to have fun, feel comfortable, and end up with photos that actually feel like you.