I am so honored (and so proud!)  to announce that my image "Beyond the Dirty Glass" was chosen by New York Times photo editor Tiffanie Graham to be included in the Documentary Family Photographers  inaugural exhibition , "Transforming Perspectives". 
This picture represents a lot of things to me. When the pandemic first began, I was committed to documenting our 2 weeks in quarantine. 2 weeks turned into 3 and 3 turned into 4... and you know the rest of the story. I remember sitting in our playroom floor and staring out the window wanting to be outside, but inside chores needed to be done (scroll down to see the image and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about). I began thinking of all the things that needed to be done and how I should really be more on top of these things (I think you know how quickly we can get sucked into the mom guilt trip rabbit hole), but I was knocked out of my own head by a shrill squeal of delight outside and the familiar roar of my middle child in the midst of play.  I looked outside, beyond the dirty glass, to see a scene that absolutely warmed my heart and made me smile ear to ear. 
Here's what I wrote about the image:
It's easy to concentrate on our short comings and flaws, but when you look beyond the mess and shift perspective- you'll find a beautiful scene of innocent, barefoot, childhood play and be reminded of life's most simple joys right outside your own filthy window.

I'm including here the Press Release for the exhibit, prepared by Ashleigh Raddatz.

​
​Honest Images of Family Life - Virtual Photography 
Exhibition from Documentary Family Photographers
Worldwide
The organization, named Documentary Family Photographers, elevates 
authentic imagery by providing a supportive and inclusive community for
photographers.
Dublin, Ireland – The organization Documentary Family Photographers Worldwide
is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of its highly anticipated inaugural exhibit, which showcases documentary family photographers from around the world.
Documentary Family Photographers (DFP) is a global community, directory, and 
photography resource and education platform committed to empowering and
connecting families and photographers from all walks of life. The organization aims to transform perspectives and to create an impact on lives through documentary
photography and community. DFP continuously strives to grow its space in order to 
amplify, support, and celebrate the diverse range of photographers in the Documentary Family Photography community and the important work they are doing. 
In the organization’s most recent news, DFP is hosting a virtual photography exhibition, entitled Transforming Perspectives, showcasing images from documentary family photographers from around the world on April 5th, 2021. The imagery highlighted in Transforming Perspectives is of true family stories, diverse backgrounds, and celebrates everyday family life - the good, the bad, the funny, and more. 
“DFP aims to champion a more inclusive definition of family by showing honest imagery  with a wide variety of family compositions and experiences. From over 650 submissions, 50 photographs by 44 photographers from 11 different countries were selected by esteemed juror Tiffanie Graham, a New York Times Photo Editor,” says founder of DFP,  Ashleigh Raddatz. “We will be acknowledging a variety of exemplary photographs with three unique awards to recognize the incredible talent of our artists. These photographs, and all of the others, will be featured in an exhibition catalogue and 3D Virtual Gallery, which will be released during the opening reception.”
Transforming Perspectives will be available to viewers online from April 5th – April 
30th, 2021.
For more information about DFP, or to view the exhibit starting April 5th, please visit 
www.dfp-gallery.com. 

About Documentary Family Photographers
Documentary Family Photographers believes in providing people with the ultimate gift of corroboration by connecting audiences with documentary photographers in their area, as well as by encouraging documentary photographers to elevate their imagery and business through guidance and access to insightful education.

Thank you all so much for your support throughout my photography journey. I have been chasing this dream for a long time and it feels really, really incredible to be chosen out of over 650 submissions to be included in this exhibit. 
As mentioned above, the exhibit will run until 4/30/21. If you'd like to visit the gallery and vote for the People's Choice Award before the gallery closes, please visit the gallery page here. 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see your daily life through someone else's eyes? It can be a really amazing experience. I offer Day in the Life Sessions in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area (and beyond!). This allows me to spend 8 hours- or more- with a family and to artfully document their daily life.  This allows me the time to get to know you, figure out what's important to you, and to gain your trust. I'm not there to judge you or your house or your parenting style or lifestyle. I'm there to tell the story that is unfolding in front of me. 
Why would you want this type of session? Well, I'm glad you asked because...

Does this sound like something you would love to be a part of?  I am happy to talk to you about it and answer any questions you may have. Just send me a message here or you can reach me on any of my social medias- Instagram here and Facebook here. 
If I've learned anything in the past year, it's been this: life is too short and too precious to miss out on documenting these memories. Invest in them. 

Did the title catch you a bit off guard? 
I believe it with my whole heart. There are somethings I just don't do in a session and this is one of them. The same goes for everyone in the session. (For Day in the Life Sessions, I reserve 10 minutes for a loosely posed, smiling family portrait at the end!!) One of the things that makes documentary photography really great and unique is that there is a level of trust established between you, the photographer, and the camera. And one of the most important lessons I've learned over the years of documenting peoples lives and intimate moments is that it's imperative that you convey that you accept them right where they are and exactly where they are at in their life.  

One of the ways I do that is to express to my families the desire to blend in. I always say right from the get go, I'm like the adorably awkward, yet fun, Aunt the kids haven't seen in a while. I tell them that there are zero expectations from me and that this is meant to be a zero stress experience. And lastly, I don't ever ask them to look at the camera, be fully aware of it, and smile. Because let's face it, a lot of us don't love to be in front of the camera. 
*But it's so, so, so important! Click here to read some of the reasons why I want you in front of the camera and being an active participant in memory making* 

I believe that when you ask someone to look at the camera and smile, you are subconsciously telling them that this is the way they need to appear. They need to always appear happy and smiling. The truth is, sometimes life isn't happy and smiling. But that doesn't make it less beautiful or worthy of remembering. 
Sometimes there are quiet moments.
Sometimes there are chaotic moments.
Sad moments.
Joyful moments.
Funny moments.
Angry moments. 
And every single human emotion in between. Humans are complex and we have such incredible minds. We have such a wide range of emotions and they make up who we are. I value that. 

As a mother myself, I can often romanticize memories and look back at them with a rose colored lens (and that's okay!). Having pictures that document our days helps me to remember the hard times, the quiet times, and just exactly how fleeting these moments were. And it puts it into perspective that all of these moments make up our lives, not just the good and happy ones. 

Our emotions are valid. Our feelings are valid.  
I won't ever ask you to smile if you don't want to. I'll take the picture with a quiet reverence and feel grateful that you trusted me enough to let me in your space. It's really an honor to share your days with you. 
If you want to book a storytelling session with me for your family (or if you're expecting a new little one!), please click here to reach out to me or use the Contact tab above. I have a super helpful little guide to send to you that will have all the important information you need to book your session with me. Got questions? I'm here to help. Reach out to me here or on Facebook or Instagram.