A look behind the process — for other photographers, and for anyone curious what happens before I ever pick up a camera.
People assume session prep starts with a location and a shot list. Mine starts with a conversation.
Before I Ever Pick Up a Camera
Every client fills out a questionnaire before we shoot — but it's not really about logistics. Guest count, timeline, graduation year — those details matter, sure, but the questions I care most about are the ones that get at who someone is and what story I'm actually there to tell.
For couples, I ask how they met, what three words describe the feeling they want, what moments matter most to them. For seniors, I ask what they're most excited about heading into this next season, what they want to be remembered for, what makes them feel like themselves. For families, I ask about the season they're actually in right now — the chaos, the milestones, the day-to-day — not just who's standing where.
None of it is a checklist. It's how I know where to put my attention once the day or session gets fast and full.
Sometimes that story reveals something I'd never guess from a form alone — a couple recreating their first date for the proposal, a tradition that honors someone who isn't there anymore, a senior who lights up talking about painting more than anything else, a family in the exact stretch of loud, chaotic, in-love that they'll want to remember someday. That's the thread I'm chasing all day.
Everything else — light, location, timing — exists to serve that thread, not the other way around.
By the time I show up, I already know what I'm looking for. Not a pose. A moment.
Scouting & Light
I scout in person, every time. Photos and reviews can only tell you so much — I want to stand in a space, watch how the light moves through it, and get a feel for the ground itself before I ever bring a client there. I also keep everything organized in Blue Board, my digital location library, so I'm not relying on memory alone once I've got a spot dialed in — timing, angles, parking, all of it saved and ready to pull up again.
The Unpredictable Things
Weather, timelines, missing coordinators — none of it derails a session if you're willing to adapt instead of fight it. Rain isn't a problem to work around, it's texture — grab an umbrella, or just let it happen. Some of the best photos come from people finally giving up on staying dry. Snowy, cold & icy? One of my couples tried ice skating in their shoes to make it fun. Is the sky hazy from the wildfires? It give a soft glow to your images!
Backyard weddings and no-coordinator days ask more of me, and I'm glad to give it. Leading up to the day, I'll step into the planning conversations, offer resources, help get the bridal party looped in on day-of logistics — whatever keeps things from falling through the cracks. But I want to be clear about one thing: I'm not your day-of coordinator. I'll be as hands-on as I can be in the weeks before, but once your day arrives, my job is to be fully present behind the camera — not making calls, not managing timelines. That's how I make sure I'm actually delivering what you hired me for.
And if a location falls through last minute? I've got a handful of go-to spots I can pivot to without missing a beat — or I'll meet you wherever you are and we'll get creative with what's actually there. The goal never changes, even when the plan does.
Why I Prep This Way
The best image doesn't happen during the prompt — it happens after it. All of this — the questionnaire, the scouting, the willingness to adapt when things shift — exists so that when the real moment comes, I'm already in position to catch it instead of directing it.
