The Beginning: Why I Chose Film Photography (and What It Means for Your Photos)

“A picture is worth a thousand words” is a saying I’ve always believed and built my life around.

Photography is my chosen medium for expression. And in a world where we all have thousands of iPhone photos and where the camera eats first, I believe more than ever that intentional, high-quality photography is one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have.

Especially when it comes to the moments that matter most, family, love, and everything in-between.

How I Fell in Love with Photography

For as long as I can remember, photography has been a part of my life.

I’m a deeply visual person. Photos have always been how I process, remember, and document the world around me. As a creative kid, I was constantly experimenting: Polaroids, scrapbooks, disposable cameras, and eventually the yearbook team in both elementary and high school.

Looking back, I was always drawn to one thing, capturing real moments, not just posed ones.

Why Film Photography Changed Everything

As an adult, I found my way to film photography, and everything shifted.

Film slowed me down.

It made me more intentional.

It made every frame matter.

What I love most about film photography, especially for family photos, maternity sessions, and couples photography, is how it captures:

Emotion
Texture
Light
Connection

There’s a depth and honesty to film that feels different. It’s not about perfection, it’s about presence.

And that’s what makes a photo last.

From Hobby to Calling

Ahead of my own wedding, I started collecting film cameras from thrift stores during my travels. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a full-blown obsession.

I started photographing:

Friends
Family
Anyone who would let me

I experimented constantly, with light, color, environments, film stocks, and different cameras. And then came the part I fell in love with most: waiting to see the photos.

That anticipation, that surprise, it never gets old.

Building My Craft in New York City

Wanting to take my work more seriously, I enrolled in classes at the International Center of Photography in New York.

There, I began refining my technical skills and developing a deeper understanding of light, composition, and storytelling.

At the same time, something else started happening, people began asking me to photograph their lives.

Pregnancies. Engagements. Weddings. Family milestones.

And I realized this wasn’t just something I loved, it was something I could build into more than just a passion, but a career.

Becoming a Family & Lifestyle Photographer

What started organically has now become the foundation of my work as a film photographer specializing in family, maternity, couples, and portrait photography.

Whether I’m shooting in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, or traveling for destination sessions, my goal is always the same, to create photos that feel like you, but elevated, intentional, and timeless.