…and I’m not often what people expect I’ll be.

I’m a photographer and educator, but my work is not about performing, perfecting, or becoming someone else.

It’s about helping people feel more at home; in front of the camera and behind it.

WHO I AM…

I adore dad jokes. I loathe overhead lighting and I hear every conversation in the room simultaneously. One of my thumbs is an inch shorter than the other. I think every bum is the cutest bum I’ve ever seen. My musical preferences range erratically between the 60’s and the 90’s…stopping abruptly there. I truly believe I have a medical allergy to the contrived.

When I envision my most ME self, I’m a grey-haired-bra less-caftan-wearing-barefoot-joint-smoking 80 year old without a phone or computer dancing around a bonfire on my remote land. There are chickens involved.

5 years ago I relocated with my husband and 2 boys (aged 18 and 13) from Austin TX where I had a high-volume photography studio that I loved (+ a matching high-volume stress level that I didn’t), to northern Italy where one is quite literally forced to embrace.the.pace.

Here in the land of the dolce vita, I’ve reaffirmed that food is a religion, life should be art, and that scheduled breaks are obligatory.

I bop back and forth between the US and Europe to create and teach and see all my loves. I am blessed and constantly saddened by the atrocities of the world. I’m next-level woo, an unmatched dining buddy, and constantly bursting with emotions.

Nice to meet you.

AS A PHOTOGRAPHER…

I’ve been a full-time professional photographer for over 18 years (and we count in dog years in this industry. Ha!). I’ve photographed thousands of women from all walks of life, from all over the world, all ages and bodies and abilities.

When I photograph you, my goal isn’t to create a vision of you that feels “made over” or perfected.

It’s to create an experience in which you feel truly seen, and to create artful photographs that you actually recognize yourself in. A forever “THERE SHE IS!” reminder.

I don’t believe confidence comes from being told how to show up. I believe it flourishes when you have no expectation to perform… then it deepens when you see how truly beautiful that looks from my eye.

My photoshoots are crafted as feel-good experiences top to bottom. They’re goofy and real and organically paced. We’ll chat and get off-track and then have a piece of chocolate to regroup. You’ll think “no way we’re actually getting anything good.” because it feels so nonchalant.

Then you’ll get to see what I see.

AS AN EDUCATOR…

When I work with photographers, I don’t believe in handing over my system and asking you to copy it.

There is no single correct way to run a photography business or to create meaningful work for ourselves and our clients.

Instead, I guide photographers to find the most aligned way of doing business for them…one that fits their personality, their values, and their life.

At the core of my teaching is what I often refer to as “the good guy stuff”: clear communication, self-development, thoughtful client experience, and integrity.

I believe customer service-centric practices are the key to not only long-term sustainability in an ever-changing industry, but also to job satisfaction and overall happiness.

Whether in my group workshops, private mentorships, or a digital guide, my goal isn’t to give you a magic pill. It’s not to make you more polished and presentable. It’s not to help you go “viral”…

It’s to help you create a business and body of work that feels secure and satisfying and distinctively yours.

Photographing people and coaching photographers have never felt like separate things to me.

In both spaces, I’m paying attention to the same things; comfort, clarity, and realness.

Whether someone is stepping in front of the camera or standing behind it, I’m helping you feel more grounded, more capable, and more at home in what you’re doing.

The camera simply changes hands.

…

“You’ll see the ellipsis (…) within my watermark, throughout my website, in my musings, and even as a small tattoo on my wrist. To me, it signifies the beauty of being unfinished. It’s the unsaid. It’s the idea that evolution is constant. It’s also a way for me to continue using run-on sentences with reckless abandon.” -XK