A photograph isn't proof that something happened. It's proof of how it felt while it was happening.
The studio
Most people feel a little stiff when the camera first comes out. That's normal, and it passes. I won't pose you into shapes you'd never hold on your own - my job is to make the camera easy to forget.
I came to photography slowly, out of a plain habit of not wanting to forget things. Chicago is home, and most of my work happens within an hour of it: kitchen tables, back porches, the lakefront, the first light on a quiet street.
The pictures I care about most are almost never the ones anyone posed for. They're the moment just after, when everyone relaxes and goes back to being themselves.
I'd rather your photographs feel true than look perfect.
Location
Based in Chicago.
Most of what I make happens within an hour of the city - kitchens, back porches, the lakefront, the early-morning streets. I'll travel farther when the work calls for it.
How I work
Four principles that guide every story I photograph.
Follow, don't direct
I stay out of the way and let the day unfold naturally. You lead; I keep up.
For example: instead of "stand here and look at each other," I let you walk and talk, and photograph what happens.
Wait for the in-between
The frame worth keeping usually arrives just after the posed one.
For example: the family finishes posing, someone laughs or fixes a child's hair - that unscripted second is the photograph.
Let the light lead
I work with the light the day gives us, not what a flash invents.
For example: window light in a kitchen or a warm sunset becomes part of the story, not something I replace.
Keep the ordinary
The kitchen, the porch, the late afternoon light. That's where the story lives.
For example: a coffee mug on the table, shoes by the door, sun falling across the counter - the details you'll treasure later.
Together, these four principles say
I don't create moments for the camera.
I photograph moments that happen naturally.
I observe rather than direct.
I look for authenticity rather than perfection.
I use natural light and real life as they are.
My goal is to preserve what happened, not to create something that only happened for the camera.
This way of working suits documentary and family photography, lifestyle sessions, intimate weddings, and personal storytelling.