The Early Days of Light
January always feels like a fresh beginning — a quiet invitation to look back and remember where it all started.
For me, the early days of photography were less about business and more about heart. It was just me, my camera, and a whole lot of hope that somehow I could turn the way I saw light into something worth sharing.
This month, I’ve been looking through some of my very first January sessions — the ones that built my foundation long before I realized how much they would shape me.
A Family Growing in the Light
One of my earliest family sessions took place on a crisp January afternoon back in 2017. A family of four — full of laughter, tender hugs, and that unmistakable energy of love that’s weathered time.
I can still remember how proud they were to celebrate ten years together, and how I tried to capture that sense of belonging in every frame. Two photos of all four of them, and one of each daughter — that’s all it took to remind me why I fell in love with this work.
And now, almost a decade later, I just photographed their oldest daughter’s senior session. Talk about full circle. Watching her step into her own light after all these years felt like witnessing the continuity of love itself — one chapter blending into the next.
I can’t wait to share those senior portraits soon, and link back to this moment — the roots of her story through my lens.
A Birthday, A Beginning
Around the same time, I photographed my friend Vanessa, a hairdresser in Kerrville, celebrating her birthday with her little white dog. It was playful and glamorous — part celebration, part reflection.
What makes that session so special is that Vanessa wasn’t just a client — she was one of the first people who believed in me. When I was still dreaming about taking photography full-time, she offered me a space in the back of her salon to use as my first studio. That tiny corner with its soft window light became my first creative home. I can still smell the faint mix of hairspray and hope.
Every photo from that birthday session reminds me that sometimes, the light that leads us forward comes from the people who open doors — quite literally — so we can grow.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
Revisiting these sessions reminds me that the early days weren’t perfect — but they were pure.
Every image was filled with curiosity, experimentation, and heart. I was learning how to chase the light, but also how to trust it — to follow where it wanted to go.
It’s wild to think how much has changed since then, and yet how much has stayed the same. I still believe that the best photos come from connection, trust, and a willingness to see beauty in the ordinary.
So here’s to those early days — to the families, friends, and tiny studios that made me believe this dream was possible.
And here’s to the light that keeps leading me forward.
If you missed the introduction to this series, you can read it here.”
