I'm saying good-bye to 2024 a little early. There were lots of wonderful moments, but I'm going to Irish Good-bye before I push my luck on an ending note. Photography has always been my outlet, my lifeline—the way I connect to the world and to myself. But 2024 brought challenges, answers, profound joys, and gut-wrenching lows in equal measure. And while I’m grateful for the lessons, I’m more than ready to leave this year behind.

Being in front of a camera can feel strange at first. You start overanalyzing every little thing — Where do my hands go? Is my smile too forced? But honestly, none of that matters. What matters is that you’re here, as you are, ready to show up. You’re allowed to be fully you. The best photos aren’t the ones where you’ve nailed the perfect pose — they’re the ones where you’ve let your guard down, laughed a little too hard, and maybe forgot the camera was even there.

Eighteen years ago, I took a leap of faith, armed with little more than a borrowed camera and an unwavering passion to preserve life’s most meaningful moments. What began as a humble endeavor has since evolved into something far greater than I could have imagined—The MittenTog (some of you may remember when it went by another name!). Today, I stand here filled with gratitude and joy, ready to celebrate this incredible milestone with all of you who have been part of this journey.

Light plays an equally profound role in this dance of expression. The way it interacts with color—softening, intensifying, transforming—feels like magic. Whether it’s the golden glow of a sunset or the crisp brilliance of a studio strobe, light helps me create images that feel alive, warm, and full of life. f you’ve ever wondered how I bring that vibrancy and life into my photos, let me take you behind the scenes. Here’s a peek into my photo bag—filled with the tools I love and trust to create magic.

When I look back, I see how the threads of trauma, therapy, court battles, my neurodivergent thinking. The path to understanding myself demanded I confront the dark corners of my upbringing, while living similar circumstances behind closed doors. Therapy became a tool to sift through these layers, to let the trauma breathe so I could release it bit by bit. Through these sessions, I’ve learned to make peace with the parts of myself I once avoided, understanding that acknowledging the hurt is a necessary part of healing.

In real estate photography, being able to “read the light” on your first walk-through of a property is like having a superpower. It allows you to assess the space, choose the right angles, and work your lighting magic to capture each room’s true potential. But don’t worry if you’re not feeling like a lighting wizard just yet. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to overcome common lighting challenges on the fly, all while keeping it fun (and maybe even quirky).

From the very moment we met, I felt a magnetic pull to be around you. There was an ease to our conversations, an effortless comfort that made me feel as though I’d known you my entire life. You were always the person who made everything seem just a little brighter, who brought laughter into the hardest of moments, and who made the ordinary feel extraordinary. Standing there, I knew those words weren’t just promises for the future—they were reflections of the love that had already grown between us.

The Lyons family has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Spencer has been a lifelong friend, and his wife Steph? She quickly became that friend who just “gets” you. So, when they added their newest little one, Remi, to their family of four, it was an absolute honor to step in and capture this new chapter in their lives.