my story
I tell stories about love, legacy, and all the moments in between
I photograph families and extended families across Mid Michigan in a way that feels unhurried and honest. My approach is gentle and easygoing with a lot of playful prompts. I’m not here to coach you into a perfect picture, but to create space for you to slow down, be yourselves, and leave with images that feel like home... not just now, but for generations to come. I want you to see the way your kids look at you and embrace their surroundings. And decades from now, I want them to see how you snuggled them close and soaked them up in all of their childhood wonder.
The first time I saw one of my images used at a funeral, this work shifted from a fun side hustle into something much deeper. Later, holding my son and taking his first photos, it changed all over again. Photography became the place where joy and sorrow could exist together. Something I never expected back when my dad first handed me his DSLR.
In a world that moves fast, chases perfection, and increasingly lets machines create what looks “beautiful,” I’m drawn to the quiet, ordinary moments that make up real life. I love sitting with families, documenting them as they are, and reminding them just how meaningful their everyday togetherness already is. I believe the stories we pass down matter and that remembering them is one way we love the people who come before and after us.
When I'm not taking pictures, I am home with my kids... one of the biggest blessings of my life is to be a SAHM. I also love painting, crafting and creating. Xavier and I got married in 2015 and still feel like we qualify as "newly married". We love reading together on Tuesday nights and playing board games on Fridays. Hearing our kids giggle is one of our favorite things of all time. Xav was my second shooter for weddings for almost a decade and now he frees me up to be home with the kids and run this business in the evenings and weekends.
celebrating little wins and big milestones
looking at our own family photos
good food
traveling
reading night with Xav
family time
of my favorite things
these are a few
i belong with you
you belong with me
you're my sweetheart
GALLERY No.
1
family time
Together is our favorite place to be. I am so incredibly blessed that I get to work from home and be with Felix and Dorothy while Xav works his day job at GM. In the evening, when Xav gets home from work, our favorite thing to do is plop down as a family in the play room. Watching the kids learn and encouraging them to play, read, and dance is such a joy! Seeing the world through their eyes is so beautiful. We are always joined in the playroom by our small zoo of pets who all see the floor time as an opportunity for cuddles. Our rescue dog, Shuri and our two cats, Gamora and Nebula, are all extremely sweet with the kids and they absolutely adore them. We are blessed to live in the same state as most of our family and we love any opportunity we get to see them.
Our lovely family photos were taken by my brother in law, Preston Baker.
GALLERY No.
2
game nights
Every since I met Xav, I've known about his love of board games. I thought I was a board game person and then I started playing with him. Xavier's grandpa was ranked #6 in North America for playing Scrabble. Game nights are intense but oh so fun! One of our favorite ways to relax after the kids go to bed is to get a treat and play a game together. Friday nights are game nights around here and we try to include the kids in whatever ways we can!
GALLERY No.
3
traveling
Xav and I have loved adventuring together and we've managed to see the most epic places while staying on budget! I am so thankful for the opportunities we have had to visit Prince Edward Island, the Grand Canyon, Colorado Hot Springs, Alaska, and Hawaii. We aren't afraid of a hike and we will camp literally anywhere (including on a snow bank above a river). We've lived in New Mexico and LA for a few months each and that experience cultivated a deep appreciation for the lovely seasons we get in the Midwest. It even helped me to somewhat appreciate the role of winter ;)
It's been a blast to get to bring Felix and Dorothy on our most recent adventures and we are eager to plan our next one. If you have suggestions for places we should go, let us know... bonus points if we get to photograph you there!
GALLERY No.
4
good food
One of our favorite wedding experiences was when we showed up to a reception and found Qdoba being brought in for dinner. Good food brings people together and creates an atmosphere for rich conversations, epic board game nights, wonderful wedding receptions, and lasting memories.
It is always a wedding day highlight when couples choose to bring in their favorite desserts, restaurants, and coffee as their reception catering.
GALLERY No.
5
looking at our old photos
Every night when we are in bed, right before we turn off the light, we look at old photos together. Usually they are photos from the day and Google memories but sometimes we look up a specific time and re-live memories from that time period. We love laughing about our dating memories and we revisit our our wedding photos several times a year. Felix's baby photos always make us swoon and we always say "awh he was so tinyyyy" when we see how different he was a year ago. Time flies and I am so thankful that there are specific moments that I can keep in a photo.
