What It’s Like to Work With Me as Your Houston Photographer
Being in front of a camera can feel very vulnerable.
For a lot of people, booking photos comes with a running list of questions before we ever meet. Questions like…
What am I supposed to do with my hands?
What if my dog won’t look at the camera?
What if my kids are running in three different directions?
What if my partner and I feel painfully awkward being photographed?
And sometimes the bigger question underneath all of those is simply: what if we aren’t very good at this?
The good news is that you don't have to be.
Working with me isn't about showing up already knowing how to pose, having perfectly behaved kids, or turning your dog into a model for an hour.
My job is to create the structure around you so that you don't have to figure everything out yourself.
You get to show up as you are and I’ll take care of the rest.
Before Your Session: We Figure Out What Will Actually Work for You
There isn't one formula I use for every client.
Before your session, I want to know who I'm photographing and what will help everyone involved feel comfortable.
If you're bringing your dog, I'll want to know about their personality. Are they outgoing? Nervous around strangers? Reactive toward dogs? Obsessed with squirrels? Older and unable to walk very far?
If you're bringing kids, you can tell me about their personalities too. Sometimes knowing that a child takes a little while to warm up, loves dinosaurs, or absolutely hates sitting still gives me far more useful information than people think.
And if you're coming with a partner, there is no expectation that the two of you already know how to look effortless in front of a camera. Most people don't.
You'll receive a questionnaire and planning resources before your session, and I'm always available if you want help narrowing down outfits, talking through an idea, or figuring out logistics.
Choosing a Location Is Part of the Process
Location recommendations are never based solely on which place photographs prettiest.
Especially when dogs are involved, I think about how the location works in practice.
Does your dog need more distance from people or other dogs?
Would your senior dog be comfortable walking the trails?
Will your toddler have enough room to move?
Would somewhere quieter help everyone settle in?
Are you picturing a wooded trail, an open field, something more urban, or something that feels like home?
Clients also receive access to my location guide with options throughout Houston, Spring, The Woodlands, and surrounding areas, including spots that are often quieter than some of the most popular parks.
The goal is to find somewhere that supports the session we're trying to create, not make you adapt yourself to a location just because it looks good on Instagram.
Your Dog Does Not Have to Be “Photoshoot Ready”
This deserves its own section because I hear some version of it constantly:
“My dog could never do this.”
They absolutely might.
Your dog does not need perfect recall, a reliable stay, or the ability to stare directly into my camera.
In fact, the majority of dogs I photograph are on leash during their sessions, and most of the time I’m not trying to get dogs to look at me.
We work with whatever they’re willing to give us.
I may position you in ways that naturally hide the leash when possible, have you hold it loosely, incorporate movement, or occasionally remove it from an individual image when it makes sense. But a successful dog photography session does not depend on pretending the leash was never there.
Safety matters more.
Your dog is also allowed to sniff. They can take breaks. They can get distracted. They can need a minute.
If something isn't working, we change what we're doing rather than repeatedly asking your dog to do something they clearly aren't comfortable doing.
And as a reactive dog parent myself, I'm especially familiar with sessions where we need more distance, quieter locations, strategic positioning, or a little extra patience.
Those aren't inconveniences.
They're simply information that helps me photograph your dog well.
During Your Session: You Won't Be Left Wondering What to Do
One of the biggest misconceptions about candid or documentary-inspired photography is that I'm going to put you somewhere pretty and expect you to magically create beautiful moments by yourselves.
Absolutely not.
There is guidance throughout the session.
I might give you something to do, somewhere to walk, someone to look at, a game to play, or a small prompt designed to get everyone interacting.
Then I leave enough room for something unexpected to happen inside of it.
That balance is important to me.
Too little direction can make being photographed incredibly uncomfortable.
Too much direction can make everything feel stiff.
I'm looking for the middle.
You'll get help when you need it without spending the entire session thinking about where every hand, foot, and face is supposed to go.
If You Feel Awkward in Photos, You Are in Very Good Company
You do not need to be naturally comfortable in front of a camera.
Honestly, most people I photograph aren't.
I don't expect you to arrive ready to model.
We'll usually begin with something simple that gets you moving rather than immediately asking you to stand still and smile. Once you've had a little time to realize you don't need to constantly think about the camera, things tend to get much easier.
And you are never required to manufacture intimacy for the sake of a photograph.
For couples, I want your relationship to look like your relationship.
Some couples are affectionate and soft. Some spend half the session roasting each other. Some aren't particularly touchy. Some are wonderfully awkward.
There is no right version.
And for My Queer Clients...
Creating an affirming space isn't something I want you to have to investigate once you arrive.
As a lesbian photographer, I know there is a difference between being technically welcomed somewhere and being able to relax because you know you don't have to explain yourself.
I'm not going to automatically assign masculine and feminine roles to your posing.
You don't have to clarify who is “the mom,” explain your relationship, or wonder whether showing affection will change the atmosphere of your session.
You just get to be together.
Kids Are Allowed to Act Like Kids
Family photos don't suddenly stop working because your child doesn't want to sit still.
In fact, I rarely want them sitting still for very long anyway.
If they want to run, we find a way to use the running.
If they're feeling silly, we lean into silly.
If they're nervous, I give them space to figure me out.
And sometimes a kid is simply having a hard day.
We work with that too.
My goal is not to make your children behave for the camera. It's to create opportunities for me to photograph who they actually are and how your family interacts with them.
That might include the polished everyone-looking-at-the-camera photograph.
It should also include the bear hugs, weird faces, running legs, tucked-in cuddles, belly laughs, and tiny interactions you recognize immediately as your family.
I Want the Session to Feel Like Something You Actually Got to Experience
Of course I want you to love your photographs.
But I also don't want the process of getting them to feel like something you survived.
A successful session isn't one where everyone followed instructions perfectly.
It's one where, at some point, you stopped thinking quite so much about the fact that you were having your picture taken.
You played with your dog.
You chased your kid.
You laughed at your partner.
You walked somewhere pretty while the sun went down.
You noticed something about the people or animals you love that you ordinarily move too quickly to pay attention to.
Photography can preserve all of that.
But first, you have to be allowed to experience it.
After Your Session: Turning All of Those Little Moments Into a Story
Once the session is over, my work moves behind the scenes.
My editing style is warm, colorful, and true to the atmosphere we experienced together. I love rich greens, warm light, natural skin tones, movement, expression, and images that feel alive.
But editing isn't only about making individual photographs look beautiful.
I'm also thinking about how your gallery works as a whole.
The big portrait deserves to be there.
So does the photo of your dog looking completely ridiculous.
So does your child hanging upside down.
So does your partner reaching for your hand without realizing I was photographing it.
Those quieter images are often the ones that make a gallery feel like your life rather than simply a collection of professional portraits.
I want you to look through your photographs and recognize yourselves.
Not a more polished family you pretended to be for an hour.
You.
Who Is My Approach Best For?
You might especially enjoy working with me if you're looking for someone who:
genuinely likes photographing dogs as part of the story, rather than treating them like an accessory
understands that nervous, reactive, senior, energetic, and imperfectly trained dogs can still be photographed beautifully
gives you direction without making every image feel posed
lets kids move and interact instead of expecting constant cooperation
creates an explicitly queer-affirming photography experience
cares about personality, relationships, and little interactions as much as the traditional portrait
is willing to change the plan when the humans or animals in front of the camera need something different
And if you want an extremely formal session where everyone spends most of the time sitting perfectly still and smiling directly at the camera, I'm probably not your photographer.
That's okay too.
Finding someone whose process matches what you actually want matters.
Maybe You've Been Waiting Because You Thought You Needed to Be More Prepared
Maybe you thought your dog needed more training first.
Maybe you wanted your kids to get a little older.
Maybe you've spent years saying you're awkward in pictures.
Maybe you've been waiting until you knew exactly what you wanted.
You don't have to solve all of that before reaching out.
That's part of why you hire me.
You bring the people and animals you love.
We'll figure out the location, the light, the movement, the logistics, and all of those little worries together.
And then we'll make photographs of this version of your life while you're still living it.
Think We Might Be a Good Fit?
If you're looking for a Houston photographer who will give you plenty of guidance without asking your family to perform, I'd love to photograph your people, your dogs, or some combination of the two.
You can browse my current session options, check upcoming availability, and book completely online.
Not quite ready to book or wondering whether your wonderfully complicated dog will be a good fit? Send me a message. I'm always happy to talk through it first.