— never seriously, just always with a camera nearby. It wasn't until after I got married, working in the family business with afternoons free, that something pushed me to do something more with it. I had what I can only describe as hunger for something creative.

I came to photography sideways

I'd been taking pictures since I was sixteen or seventeen

What pulled me toward weddings specifically was partly what I didn't receive at my own. Our photographer delivered the photos in a plastic bag — like from a grocery store. I never forgot that. Not as a grudge, just as a reminder of what this work can be when someone actually cares about it.

I studied graphic design, worked in advertising and branding, spent years learning to see before I ever thought about weddings professionally. Rembrandt was — and still is — one of my main references. The way light falls on a surface, the weight of shadow, the texture of fabric. A wedding dress in the right light is an extraordinary thing to photograph. I never got over that.

I ask too many questions. I always have. With clients, with friends, with anyone who lets me. I'm not interested in the surface of things.