THE JOURNAL

If I could go back and sit my younger photographer self down, I would only tell her one thing:Build systems. Now. Before you get busy. Before things get messy. Before you burn out trying to keep it all in your head. Systems are the reason my business is sustainable at thirty-eight with three kids and […]

If you ask ten photographers what success looks like, you will get ten completely different answers. More bookings. More creativity. More time at home. More travel. More money. Less burnout. A full calendar. A slow calendar. A studio. No studio. An editing style they finally love. A business that feels stable. A business that feels […]

Every photographer enters a new year with good intentions. You want more bookings, more confidence, more consistency, and a business that feels less reactive and more aligned. But intentions alone don’t build momentum. Clarity and structure do. If 2025 felt scattered or unpredictable, you’re not alone. Most photographers spend their year reacting to whatever pops […]

The photography world uses the word “branding” constantly, but most photographers misunderstand what it actually means. They think branding is a logo, a color palette, a website template, a font they found on Pinterest. Those things support your brand, but they are not your brand. Branding is not how your business looks.Branding is how your […]

Every photographer talks about wanting more word-of-mouth referrals, but very few photographers understand what actually creates them. Clients don’t rave about you because you took a pretty photo. They rave because of how you made them feel. They rave because you removed stress from their day. They rave because working with you felt effortless, thoughtful, […]

If you’ve ever gotten halfway through a session and realized… …then you already know: how you start a session matters. The first 10–15 minutes are when everyone has the most energy and attention.And you need to use that time wisely. Here’s exactly what I do at the start of every family session (on purpose). 1. […]

I’ve mentored so many photographers who felt like they were doing everything “right”—they had the right lens, the right location, and even the right poses. But the photos? Still felt awkward. Stiff. Disconnected. And most of the time, it wasn’t about talent or effort—it was about a few simple posing mistakes that were throwing everything […]

I still remember the early days of photographing families—standing in a pretty field, camera in hand, heart racing, and thinking: “Okay… what do I do now?” I’d start with a pose or two, then immediately feel the energy shift. The toddler would run off. The dad would start checking out. The vibe would feel… chaotic. […]

One of the most common questions I get from photographers is:“How do you get your skin tones to look so creamy and soft… straight out of camera?” The truth? It’s not a magic camera setting or a fancy preset.It comes down to something way simpler (and more powerful): intentional shooting. For years, I struggled with […]

Mini sessions are a great way to serve more families in a short amount of time.But only if people actually book them. If you’ve ever posted about minis and heard crickets, or ended up scrambling to fill your last few spots, chances are it wasn’t about your price or your photos… It was your marketing […]