POV: A photographer who knows the best photos happen when kids are free to be themselves. Whether they’re running, jumping, giggling, or making silly faces, I welcome the chaos. Because those wild, unfiltered moments are where the magic lives—the joy, the connection, and the memories you’ll treasure forever.

Most people only feel that having pictures taken should happen when their children are little. Because they grow so fast, and change so much, having family pictures taken feels like a must. As parents, we just don’t want to forget anything. But as kids become teens and even young adults, yearly family photos don’t get prioritized. 

Email wasn’t something I used until my last few years of college. My oldest was in kindergarten when I got my first cell phone. Social media wasn’t on my radar until that same kid was in 4th grade when he taught me about it, and ran daily stats on his followers and likes.My childhood consisted of playing outside with neighborhood kids until the street lights came on…

Life has an uncanny way of holding up a mirror, reflecting back exactly who we are and what we’re meant to become. Each moment, whether filled with joy, challenge, or quiet reflection, invites us to pause and take a closer look. These moments aren’t random—they’re asking us questions: Do you like what you see? Are you growing in the ways you need to?

Let’s talk about something close to my heart: lifestyle photography. As a San Diego lifestyle photographer, I’ve had the privilege of capturing countless moments for families like yours. And every time I do, I’m reminded of just how special this genre of photography is. It’s not just about creating pretty pictures (though, of course, we’ll get those, too). It’s about telling your story in a way that feels real and meaningful.

Have you heard of shadow work? I won’t go into too much detail but it is a concept created by Carl Jung that there is a part of you that you are too fearful to show. The part of you that you are too embarrassed to accept so you push it away, but it is always there following you. Not in a sinister way, but a you can ignore me all you want but I’m not going anywhere way. (You can read more about shadow here.) The shadow is the root of many problems in a person’s life.