I started shooting an SLR camera in Alabama when I was 16. I was fascinated with National Geographic photos and wanted to understand the technology behind these light boxes. What I was really excited about was the reaction I got from my family members when I showed them the shots I had gotten from our family gatherings.

In college I took a photography class and learned how to work in the darkroom. I became the photography director of the school newspaper and quickly picked up the change to digital photography. I finished my marketing degree and pursued business interests but continued to shoot film for myself and work in my at-home studio/darkroom.

I moved to Boone, NC to pursue my next degree at Appalachian State and apprenticed in wedding photography with Barry Greene. I shot weddings and portraits with Barry for 3.5 years while I finished my art degree.

As an artist, I believe it is not enough to just be there to capture an image but to do it creatively and responsibly. What this means in my business is that it is a necessity to be intuitive enough to know when a moment is about to happen but also motivated enough to create something if nothing creative is happening. This a fine balance. You don’t want to get in the way of yourself or the moment. I don’t believe on the day of the event the photography should overshadow the event. I do believe there is a responsibility of the photographer to create honest, beautiful imagery. This is what Jolly Muse will do for you.