The Story Behind the Lens
I didn’t start my photography career the traditional way. It came later in life, after raising a family and spending years immersed in creative work at home, cooking, writing, decorating, and always noticing beauty in the details. I was always taking pictures on my phone or with a point and shoot, but I hadn't yet taken the time to really learn how to use a camera properly.
The turning point came when I was asked to photograph a community arts project in upstate New York, 100 portraits of local residents. After the very first portrait, I knew this was what I was meant to do. There was something about the connection, the trust, and the quiet exchange that happened between me and the person in front of the camera that felt profound. That night, I bought my own camera and signed up for online photography classes. I was all in.
Inside Out Project | Sharon Springs | 2020
What began as that small community project soon grew into a full-time practice. I opened a portrait studio next to my cottage in the little village of Sharon Springs and began photographing people, artists, families, friends, and visitors passing through. The community supported me in ways I never expected, and my work evolved into a blend of portrait photography and fine art rooted in one theme: connection.
In the beginning, I learned to use my camera by photographing flowers in my dining room. I experimented with light, focus, and composition, discovering how small changes could completely transform the feeling of an image. Those quiet hours became my classroom. I never imagined that the photographs I created there would one day hang in a museum. The flowers became their own kind of story, teaching me patience, observation, and reverence for beauty in its simplest form.
Over time, I realized that the most powerful portraits aren’t about perfect poses or chasing light; they’re about presence. They happen in the moment someone exhales, lets go of self-consciousness, and simply allows themselves to be. That’s when I see them. That’s when the camera disappears, and something true emerges.
Eventually, my work expanded beyond portraits. I began photographing flowers in new ways, using water, shadow, and stillness to express what words could not. These floral studies became another form of portraiture, quiet, expressive, and alive. They reminded me that beauty isn’t something we create; it’s something we reveal.
Today, I live and work between Los Angeles and Upstate New York. In LA, I photograph entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives in their homes and studios, creating editorial style portraits that feel natural and alive. In New York, I host exhibits and gatherings, welcoming others into a creative space that has given me so much.
Through it all, my purpose remains the same: to help people feel comfortable, seen, and reflected in a way that feels true to them.