Q+A

The best way to prepare is actually to un-prepare. There’s no need to scrub the baseboards or hide the toys. In fact, those toys are part of this era! The goal is for you to be present. If you’re relaxed, the kids will be too. We aren't aiming for a performance; we're looking for a morning or afternoon that feels exactly like you.

Honestly? I hope they are, and I hope it is.

Before I started this business in 2012, I spent years in kindergarten and first grade classrooms — Master's in reading, front row seat to every flavor of childhood energy. That background taught me how to meet kids exactly where they are, whether that's a high-energy discovery phase or a quiet, shy morning. I'm not there to manage them or pose them. I'm there to follow their lead.

The same goes for your home. The crumbs on the counter and the Legos on the floor are the scenery of this era. My job isn't to photograph what your life looks like cleaned up for guests — it's to photograph how your life actually feels right now.

When things get a little chaotic, we just lean into it. In my experience, that's usually where the best stories are hiding anyway.

Usually, right where your life happens: at home. This is where the most honest stories live.

That said, if your family's era currently involves a favorite park, a regular walk to the library, or a Saturday at the farmers' market — we can absolutely head there instead. I go where the connection is. Your community is part of your story, too.

Almost never. If it feels natural and you want it, we can absolutely steal a loosely gathered grandma shot or two. I get it.

But if you're envisioning an entire gallery of posed portraits, I will happily point you toward some wonderful traditional photographers in Madison. You deserve a photographer whose approach matches your vision — and so do they.

Please, don't overthink this. Wear what you’d actually wear on a Tuesday.

The most honest stories are told in the mismatched details. If your child refuses to take off their rain boots even though it's sunny, or insists on wearing a superhero cape over their pajamas — keep them in it. I want to see the bedhead, the favorite faded t-shirt, the tutus paired with dinosaur socks, the clothes that actually let your kids move, sit on the floor, and be themselves.

Leave the staged Pinterest palettes for someone else's session. These choices are actually milestones. Ten years from now you won't care that the colors matched a catalog — you'll care that you preserved the era when they wouldn't leave the house without those specific wings or that well-loved hoodie.

Stay beautifully ordinary. That's always the goal.

This is Wisconsin—I’ve learned to plan for everything from pop-up summer storms to mid-winter polar vortices.

This is Wisconsin — I've learned to plan for everything from pop-up summer storms to mid-winter polar vortices.

Since the heart of my work happens inside your home, we're usually safe from whatever the Midwest is throwing at the windows. Honestly, some of my favorite sessions have happened on exactly those days — there's something incredibly soulful about a family tucked inside together while a storm does its thing outside.

If we had planned for an outdoor adventure and the weather has other ideas, I'm flexible. A change of plans is just a different story waiting to happen.

And I promise we won't make you stand in a snowdrift — unless you really want to.

Sessions run at least 90 minutes — and honestly, probably longer. If someone is decorating a mud pie, I'm not about to look at my watch and take off. I'm here for your story.

That said, I do want to leave on a high note for everyone. I genuinely love a good toddler meltdown (they're all temporary, promise!) but I never want anyone feeling stressed or pushed past their limit. We can wrap up whenever it feels right.

Your gallery will include 50+ professionally culled and hand-edited images, delivered directly to your device — no USBs to misplace, no outdated discs, just beautiful images ready to view, download, and print.

Sneak peeks are a big thing in the photography world — but I have a very meh relationship with social media. Sometimes I post, most times I don't. So rather than a teaser that makes you anxious for the rest, I'd rather just get you the whole thing.

Your full gallery typically arrives within two weeks. Depending on the season, it might be a touch shorter or a tad longer — I'll always keep you in the loop. Wedding galleries are closer to four weeks.

Absolutely. In fact, I hope you do.

Your session includes high-resolution digital files for sharing and safekeeping — but I'm a firm believer that stories are meant to be held. Just being alive in the last 25 years has taught me that a digital file can disappear into a cloud, but an album on the coffee table becomes an heirloom in a way a screen never will.

Your gallery connects directly to my professional fine art lab, where you can order archival prints and albums worth passing down. And when you're ready to start choosing, your Fine Art Print Guide will walk you through everything.

No. Not ever. Abso-freaking-lutely not.

I retain copyright to all images I create — that's standard professional photography practice — and nothing from this site or from your personal gallery will ever be used to train AI models. I have protections in place to ensure it. Your family's images will never end up in an AI dataset. That's a promise.