A Year in Portraits: Reflections on 2025
As this year comes to a close, I’ve found myself thinking about the faces, stories, and small, quiet moments that moved through my studio. It wasn’t a flashy year—it was a meaningful one. The kind of year that gently reminds me why I chose portraiture in the first place.
I also poured a lot of energy into my fine-art studies, especially hand-painting over portraits to create pieces that feel like modern heirlooms. Learning how light translates into brushwork, how tone shapes emotion, and how subtle details can shift an entire piece deepened my love for intentional, honest portraiture. That growth shaped my work in ways I’m grateful for.
And woven between sessions were the steady, behind-the-scenes changes that helped the studio grow—new programs, new opportunities, and new connections that made this year feel especially full.
Here are the reflections that shaped 2025 for me.
Families: The Heart of the Studio
This year reminded me again and again how meaningful it is to slow down and freeze a moment of togetherness—the kind families live every day but rarely get to see from the outside. Siblings laughing, parents drawing their little ones close, everyone settling into the same breath of life for just a moment.
Family sessions always carry a tenderness of their own. There’s a rhythm to the way everyone arrives, relaxes, and eventually forgets the camera is there. Those quiet in-between moments—when connection reveals itself naturally—are the ones that stay with me.
Studio portraits have a way of pausing time. Without distractions, what comes forward is the warmth, the closeness, and the feeling of belonging that families will hold onto long after these days have passed.
And just as meaningful as the families already formed were the families still growing—those expectant, hopeful chapters of motherhood filled with so much emotion and anticipation.
Motherhood & Maternity
There is something incredibly tender about this short season of motherhood—the first flutters, the last weeks of carrying a baby close, the in-between moments that move by far too quickly. Maternity sessions brought a quiet, reverent beauty into the studio this year, full of soft hands resting over growing bellies and the deep, unspoken connection between expectant parents.
These sessions always feel like a pause before everything changes—a breath held in time—and I’m endlessly honored to preserve them.
Grace & Grit: A Year of Confidence & Growth
Grace & Grit held an even bigger place in the studio this year. Every tween and teen who stepped in brought something uniquely theirs—humor, vulnerability, emerging strength, transformation. There’s an honesty to this age that I’m always drawn to, but this year it unfolded in even more creative ways.
From bold Wicked-inspired concepts to soft fall-fantasy scenes and refined classical couture, these sessions allowed teens to step into something larger than themselves. They explored characters and moods, tried on confidence the way they tried on gowns, and embraced storytelling in ways that reminded me why this program is so meaningful.
The creative range stretched me as an artist, too. Couture sharpened my eye for detail and color. Classical portraits returned me to the foundations of fine art. More conceptual sessions—those with mood, theme, or a touch of drama—revealed how powerful it can be when a young person sees themselves not just as they are, but as they could be.
These ages are full of becoming. Full of bravery. Full of quiet shifts that often go unnoticed in daily life. Photographing them—meeting them right in that space between childhood and adulthood—shaped so much of my creative heart this year.
Senior Portraits
My seniors brought a quiet confidence that felt refreshing. They arrived with personality, sentimental details, simple styling, and an openness that translated beautifully on camera. But more than anything, this season always feels tender. Seniors stand right on the edge of everything familiar—leaving behind hallways they’ve walked for years, childhood routines, and the version of themselves their families have always known.
There’s a beautiful bittersweetness in that.
A last chapter before a dozen new ones begin.
Senior portraits carry a timelessness I’ve always loved, but this year they held something deeper—the desire to hold onto who they are right now, just before life shifts. Families feel that, too. This season is meaningful for all of them.
Newborn Sessions & Sibling Moments
Some of the most precious moments this year were the tender, fleeting ones—new babies curled into their parents’ arms, older siblings meeting them with pride or curiosity. These sessions feel sacred. They remind me how quickly time moves and how grateful I am when families invite me into these earliest chapters.
I’m always moved by how much intention parents bring to newborn portraits. The soft knits they choose, the timeless bonnets, the tiny baskets and blankets—they all hold a vision for the first portraits that will hang in a nursery or live in an album for years to come. Mothers especially pour so much heart into imagining which moments they’ll want to remember forever.
Pairing those thoughtfully chosen details with the softness of studio light feels like collaborating on something meaningful—honoring these first days, these last moments of being brand-new—and preserving them with care.
Santa Sessions: Magic & Meaning
Santa was, once again, a major part of the year—full of wonder, big emotions, shy smiles, and memories families keep close. The Magical Santa Experience remains one of the most meaningful offerings in the studio, not because it’s grand, but because it’s immersive in the gentlest ways. Children aren’t rushed. They’re welcomed into a quiet, story-like moment where they can settle in, share cookies, or whisper a secret.
These sessions often become a family tradition. The heirloom products created from them feel like treasures—pieces families display year after year, long after the season has passed. It’s moving to watch parents tear up when they see their child’s expression preserved so truthfully.
This year also brought Simply Santa, a smaller, approachable option for families who wanted the joy of Santa without the full immersive experience. It was a beautiful addition—opening the door to new families and meeting them right where they were.
And one of the things I’m most proud of was the continued development of the Santa Scholarship Program. What began as a small idea grew into something much bigger, thanks to the generosity of approximately thirty-two community sponsors. Their kindness allowed us to offer sessions to families who might not have been able to participate otherwise. The willingness to give, to show up for one another, reminded me that meaningful work goes far beyond the photographs themselves.
Santa brought magic, yes—but also community, connection, and heart.
Branding & Creative Portraits
I also had the joy of photographing branding and creative sessions this year—elevated, clean, intentional portraits for professionals and small business owners. Whether soft and editorial or crisp and modern, these sessions always strike me as powerful. A portrait can communicate so much: clarity, confidence, authenticity. I love helping people show up as themselves in a way that feels elevated and true.
Community, Connection, and Growth
This year also brought meaningful growth behind the scenes—quiet shifts that shaped the studio in ways I’m truly grateful for. We deepened relationships with returning families, welcomed new ones, and continued refining an experience rooted in care and connection.
I watched teens I’ve photographed for years step into new seasons. I saw toddlers become older siblings. I met families who were new to the studio and families who trusted me again and again, allowing me to document their stories as they unfolded. Those relationships are what make this work feel so full.
There was also creative expansion—new offerings, collaborations, and ways to bring fine-art portraiture forward. Each step felt like an extension of both the studio and my heart for this work.
These aren’t just business milestones—they’re the quiet markers that remind me why portraiture matters. Every person who walks through the door leaves an imprint, and the work we create together stays with me long after the session ends.
What 2025 Taught Me
This year taught me that simplicity still speaks the loudest.
Portraits become heirlooms far quicker than we realize.
That community grows when people show up for one another.
And that every session—every laugh, every quiet moment, every story held in front of my lens—is worth pausing for.
More than anything, I’m grateful.
For the trust, the warmth, the families who return year after year, and the new faces who walk through the studio doors.
Looking Ahead
I’m stepping into 2026 with a full heart—excited to grow even more as an artist, to deepen the studio’s presence in the community, and to continue creating portraits that feel soft, honest, and timeless.
Thank you for being part of this year.
I can’t wait to see what we’ll create together next.