Some people find their way to photography through art school or a darkroom. I found mine through listening. For years, I worked as a speech-language pathologist — a job that is, at its heart, about communication. About reading the room. About understanding someone’s needs before they've found the words for it. About creating a space safe enough that people can show up exactly as they are, without performing, without pretending. I brought all of that with me when I picked up a camera.

What that means for you: I will never make you feel awkward, rushed, or like you're doing it wrong. I know how to hold a conversation that puts people at ease. I know how to read a moment — when to step back and let it breathe, when to step in and give you a gentle nudge. I know that the best photos don't come from perfect posing. They come from genuine comfort. From laughter that actually happened. From a quiet glance you forgot I was there to catch.

I am based in Santa Barbara, California — a place I genuinely never get tired of — and I have traveled the world photographing love in all the forms it takes. Hot air balloons over Cappadocia at sunrise. Sailboats in the Mediterranean. Windswept cliffs at Jalama. The small, warm light of someone's living room. Every location is different. The feeling I'm chasing is always the same.

I am a hopeless romantic, a devoted introvert, a competitive paddler, and the proud human of a very opinionated bunny. I believe that photos are not just pretty pictures — they are the closest thing we have to holding time still. And I believe that your story, exactly as it is, deserves to be told beautifully.

If you've made it this far, I have a feeling we'd get along. I'd love to hear about your day.

— Missy