There are years that arrive quietly and years that reshape you in ways you barely notice until you look back.
For me, 2025 was a year that unfolded in layers. It was subtle at first, then meaningful, then deeply defining. As each month passed, I could feel my artistry sharpening, softening, stretching, and settling into something that finally felt like home.
This was the year I found a deeper clarity in my style. A year when travel became more than logistics. A year when planners became collaborators in the truest sense. A year when my work carried more warmth, more intention, and more refinement than I have ever felt behind the camera.
When I reflect on 2025, I do not think only about the images I delivered. I think about the textures of the places I stood. The light that shaped each moment. The couples who trusted me. The planners who added depth to the story. The gentle evolution that formed the foundation of the photographer I am stepping into now.
This is my 2025 Wrapped.
A full, transparent, warm, atmospheric look at the scenes, landscapes, and experiences that shaped my year and the creative identity I am carrying with me into 2026.
Travel That Changed My Perspective
Travel became one of the most defining parts of my year. Each destination pulled something different from me. Each environment asked me to slow down, observe, breathe, and create from a place of intention. I found myself learning from the light. Learning from the environment. Learning from the way couples interacted with each location’s natural rhythm.
The more I traveled, the more I realized that photography is not only about where you stand. It is about what the place invites you to notice.
Arizona: The Beauty of Gentle Stillness
Arizona was the first destination that set the tone for my year. The desert feels unlike anywhere else. Wide open. Honest. Completely unpretentious. There is a stillness in Arizona that wraps around you in the softest way. Nothing tries to steal attention. Nothing competes with the moment. The environment feels like a blank page where emotion becomes the story.
I remember standing in front of a vast stretch of warm, desert terrain with a couple, the sun sliding slowly down the sky behind them. The light shifted from gold to peach to soft rose, painting the entire horizon in colors that felt almost surreal. The air was warm and dry. The breeze was barely noticeable, just enough to bring a whisper of movement to the scene.
In Arizona, the simplest gestures become breathtaking. A hand brushing a shoulder. A small laugh folding into the quiet. A slow walk across the sand. The desert gave everything room to breathe.
This location taught me the power of minimalism. It reminded me that emotion does not need decoration. It thrives in spaciousness. It thrives in honesty. It thrives in light that falls gently without forcing drama.
Arizona was the beginning of my shift into refined simplicity. It was the reminder I needed that quiet can be powerful.
Nothing forced, nothing styled too tightly, just room to exist together and let the moment speak.
California: Warm Light and Modern Calm
California brought a different kind of clarity. The light there feels warm in a way that seems to soften everything it touches. Even shadows feel smoother. The environment carries a mix of modernity and natural beauty that shaped several of my favorite sessions this year.
Photographing along the coast felt almost meditative. The air carried movement into every moment, giving the images a sense of fluidity and life. Waves shifted in the background, adding rhythm to each frame. Sunlight slipped through fog in the early mornings and wrapped couples in soft gold in the evenings.
There was one session where the breeze created this effortless motion in the couple’s clothing, and instead of trying to control it, I let the environment lead. The movement added emotion. The atmosphere shaped expression. It taught me to trust the moment instead of perfecting it.
California hillsides brought another kind of beauty. Warm tones rolling softly across the landscape. Clean lines created by long stretches of land. Natural framing everywhere. Couples felt both grounded and weightless in that setting, and the resulting imagery felt intentionally modern while still deeply emotional.
California reminded me that elegance can feel effortless. That refinement does not mean rigidity. That modern simplicity pairs beautifully with warmth.
Temecula: European Warmth in California Wine Country
Temecula held a special place in my year, especially photographing at Europa Village. This venue feels like stepping out of California and into a European-inspired dreamscape. The stone pathways. The warm, sandy tones. The soft archways. The way the sun dips behind the hills and stretches the shadows across textured walls.
where romance, place, and artistry come together effortlessly.
The day I photographed there, everything felt warm and intuitive. The air carried a softness that shaped the entire aesthetic. The environment felt curated yet natural, refined yet approachable. The tones of the venue complemented every outfit, every floral element, every quiet moment.
where texture, tone, and artistry stayed in quiet conversation.
Working in Europa Village showed me how much environment influences emotion. Certain places invite connection in a deeper way. Couples held each other differently. Movement felt slower and more intentional. The setting created a sense of romance that felt almost cinematic.
Temecula became one of the defining landscapes of my year, shaping the softness and warmth in my creative direction.
shaping the way the day, and the work, unfolded.
Planners Who Elevated My Work
While travel shaped my eye, planners shaped my process. Working alongside thoughtful, creative-minded planners brought both clarity and inspiration to my work this year. Photography is collaborative at its core, and 2025 reminded me how transformative aligned teamwork can be.
Working With Louise & Third and JC Design Weddings at Europa Village
My time photographing with Louise & Third and JCDesigns Weddings & Events at Europa Village was one of the most defining moments of my year. Watching them design a setting is like watching emotion take shape.
where artistry lives in the details.
They see the world through texture and movement. They understand how design interacts with light. They consider how colors will translate in photographs. They build scenes that feel warm, elegant, and intentional.
They’re the result of planners who understand how design, feeling, and place work together.
While walking the venue with them, I noticed how they paused at certain corners. How they imagined the scene unfolding. How they talked about the couple’s emotional experience just as much as the visual one. That level of intention shaped the way I approached the shoot.
The result was imagery that felt modern, refined, and quietly luxurious. The warmth of the environment paired with their design instincts created a sense of grounded elegance that I still feel proud of.
every layer, every light, every moment feels considered.
Connecting With Events by Edz
Another creative highlight this year was deepening my connection with Events by Edz. She brings such a sense of warmth to every interaction. She is grounded, intentional, and deeply caring in her approach.
Our conversations throughout the year helped me articulate what I want my work to feel like. She reminded me that beautiful imagery begins with a beautiful experience. She encouraged me to embrace softness, trust my artistic instincts, and lean into the refined, minimal aesthetic that feels most authentic to me.
She became part of the emotional foundation of my year, and I am grateful for the creative alignment we shared.
Editorial Work That Refined My Style
Some projects arrive at exactly the right moment in your creative journey. For me, the editorial at Chateau de Michellia felt like a mirror reflecting the photographer I have been quietly becoming behind the scenes. It was a space where everything aligned. The environment. The light. The styling. The mood. Even the silence in the air felt intentional.
Chateau de Michellia: Where Light Breathes Softly
Driving up to Chateau de Michellia, the setting felt almost like a palette designed specifically for the kind of images I love creating. Soft stone. Gentle curves in the architecture. Pathways that filtered light in this almost painterly way. The sun touched the building with warmth, creating subtle gradients across the walls that made every frame feel refined and clean.
Photographing there gave me space to experiment with a slower, more intentional rhythm. I paid attention to the way fabric drifted in small breezes. I watched how shadows wrapped around the subject with softness instead of sharp edges. I leaned into quiet posing, gentle gestures, and natural movement that allowed the editorial to feel warm instead of rigid.
There was a moment where the bride stepped into a patch of filtered sunlight, and the way the light hit her face made everything fall into place. The expression, the stillness, the softness of her movement. It was one of those pure photography moments where the scene tells you exactly what to do.
This editorial reminded me that the environments I choose matter. That the spaces I work in shape not just the images, but the emotion behind them. And it reinforced my desire to create work that feels minimal, refined, and rooted in elegance.
Every line, every step, every pause feels considered.
Weddings at Oakshire Estate
Oakshire Estate became one of the most meaningful locations in my year. There is something special about spaces that feel naturally luxurious without needing anything extra. Oakshire Estate has that kind of energy. Every inch of the property feels intentional. Nothing is loud. Nothing fights for attention. Everything carries a quiet sense of grace.
layers coming together effortlessly at Oakshire Estate.
The Emotional Atmosphere of Oakshire Estate
The first wedding I photographed this year at Oakshire Estate set the tone for how I approached every wedding afterward. The sunlight filtered through the trees in a soft, golden wash that wrapped around the couple beautifully. Even in busier moments of the wedding day, the environment carried a sense of calm.
where architecture and light set the tone at Oakshire Estate.
There were spots on the property where the light created this stunning interplay of brightness and shadow, giving me natural opportunities to create portraits that felt polished and editorial while still maintaining warmth.
Couples moved through Oakshire Estate with ease. Its layout encourages a flow that feels both elegant and intimate. Portraits felt effortless because the space itself was filled with natural opportunities. A quiet pathway. A curved archway. Soft greenery that frames the couple without overwhelming the composition.
Oakshire Estate allows moments to breathe.
I found myself inspired every time I walked onto the property. Some of my favorite images from the entire year were created here. Images that felt gentle and intentional. Images that carried emotion without needing direction. Images that reflected the modern aesthetic I want my work to embody moving forward.
Oakshire Estate became a touchstone for my creative evolution.
Southern Bride Magazine Feature: A Moment of Recognition
Being featured in Southern Bride Magazine was more than a publication milestone. It was a reflection of the creative shift happening inside me throughout the year. When I first saw the feature, I felt this warm mix of gratitude and clarity. Gratitude for the opportunity, but clarity in knowing that the direction I am growing into is not just personal, but resonating with others too.
an editorial moment from our Southern Bride shoot in Temecula.
The feature made me pause in the middle of a busy week. I sat with the feeling of knowing my work was being seen not just for the images themselves, but for the intention behind them. Southern Bride celebrates refined, emotional, elevated artistry, and being included among other creatives who value that same aesthetic meant more to me than I expected.
an editorial moment shaped by texture and intention.
Seeing my photography in those pages reminded me how far I have come and how aligned I feel with the path I am walking. It was a quiet confirmation that the soft, refined, modern approach I’ve been cultivating is exactly where I’m meant to be.
The Subtle Creative Transformation of 2025
If there was one theme that shaped everything this year, it was evolution. Not in the loud, dramatic sense. But in a steady, almost imperceptible way. It showed up in the way I composed images. In how I spoke to couples. In the way I edited. In the type of moments I slowed down for. In the environments I was drawn to. In the silence I allowed between poses.
Learning to Photograph With Intention
I found myself pausing more this year. Not rushing to capture every moment. Instead, choosing to notice the way someone looked at their partner. The softness in the shoulders when a couple relaxed. The atmosphere before a kiss rather than the kiss itself.
I began seeing photography less as a sequence of poses and more as a rhythm. A flow. A gentle collaboration between environment, emotion, and light.
That shift brought more depth to my work. It made the images feel more lived in. More personal. More timeless.
Embracing Minimalism as a Point of View
Minimalism became one of the strongest creative forces in my work this year. Not minimalism as emptiness, but minimalism as clarity. As intention. As space for emotion to breathe.
The kind of connection that doesn’t need direction, just space to exist.
I leaned into clean compositions. Warm, subtle tones. Simple yet expressive gestures. I found beauty in stillness. Strength in softness. Elegance in natural texture.
This direction made everything feel quieter in the best way. Instead of searching for dramatic moments, I found myself embracing the subtle ones. A hand resting lightly on a back. A forehead leaning into a shoulder. A slight exhale caught in golden light.
hand-torn paper edges, vintage stamps, and intentional floral accents.
Refining My Editing to Match My Vision
My editing evolved significantly this year. I leaned into warmer neutrals, softer shadows, and tones that feel gentle and modern. I wanted the images to feel elevated but not sterile. Emotional but not overly dramatic. Clean but not cold.
Soft layers, gentle light, and love at the center of it all.
I wanted couples to look at their gallery years from now and feel the softness of the moment, not the heaviness of editing.
This shift in editing created consistency across my work and helped me define the aesthetic I want couples and planners to recognize instantly.
The Environments That Defined My Work This Year
One of the biggest realizations I had in 2025 was how deeply environments influence the emotional tone of a wedding day. Light. Space. Texture. Air. Movement. Architecture. All of it contributes to how couples feel, how they interact, and how the story unfolds through the lens.
This year, the environments I photographed in felt especially telling. Each one contributed something unique to my evolution, allowing me to explore softness, refinement, movement, and minimalism in new ways.
Light as a Creative Partner
Light took on a bigger role in my work this year. Not just as an element of photography, but as a collaborator. I found myself watching the way it shifted across surfaces. The way it moved through open spaces. The way it shaped a moment before the moment even happened.
Arizona light was crisp and golden, giving everything a warm clarity.
California light was soft and smooth, creating this luminous atmosphere that lifted every emotion.
Temecula light carried a romantic glow that felt rich and grounding.
Oakshire light moved with grace, always landing gently across the estate.
Surrounded by the people who know you best, in a moment that feels easy and full.
In many moments this year, I realized I was not creating the photograph alone. The environment was shaping it with me. Guiding movement. Highlighting emotion. Softening the narrative.
Light became my favorite kind of storyteller.
Textures That Supported Quiet Luxury
Textures became an unexpected inspiration in 2025. I found myself paying attention to the surfaces that surrounded my couples. Stone, sand, sunlit walls, soft greenery, aged wood, textured fabrics. Everything added depth.
Europa Village offered warm, romantic textures that made every scene feel cinematic.
Chateau de Michellia provided smooth stone, delicate archways, and warm shadows that enhanced editorial portraits.
Oakshire Estate offered neutral backdrops and curated landscaping that framed couples beautifully.
These textures created emotional anchors for my images. They allowed me to lean into minimalism without ever feeling empty. They supported the quiet luxury aesthetic by adding subtle richness to the frame.
Movement That Made Moments Feel Alive
One of the most meaningful shifts in my work this year was embracing movement. Instead of freezing everything into perfect stillness, I allowed moments to unfold naturally. I encouraged couples to sway, walk, breathe, and hold each other in ways that felt true.
The environments I worked in supported this approach beautifully. Breezes in California created gentle movement in fabric and hair. Open pathways in Arizona allowed for slow, intimate walks. Oakshire Estate’s architecture provided leading lines that guided couples into soft, natural motion.
Movement made everything feel alive. It gave images emotional elasticity, allowing each moment to feel more like a memory and less like a posed photograph.
Color Palettes That Set the Tone
The color palettes of each location shaped the atmosphere of the photographs and influenced the direction of my editing. I found myself drawn to softer palettes this year: warm neutrals, sandy tones, gentle blushes, muted greens, creamy whites.
Arizona’s golden earth tones created warm, romantic frames.
California’s soft blues, sands, and sunlight brought calm elegance.
Temecula’s warm stone and olive greenery created timeless warmth.
Oakshire’s creamy neutrals allowed emotion to sit at the center of every image.
These palettes carried through my work, helping me build a cohesive aesthetic that feels both elevated and heartfelt.
The Balance Between Artistry and Experience
Another defining part of 2025 was the way I learned to balance artistry with the client experience. I never want photography to feel like a performance. I never want couples to feel directed into someone else’s story. This year helped me refine the way I create, not just for beauty, but for comfort.
When a couple feels held, understood, and guided with intention, their natural emotion becomes the foundation of every image. I realized that creating a luxury experience is less about presenting perfection and more about crafting a space where couples can be fully themselves.
Moments like this aren’t created, they’re allowed to happen.
Being More Present With Couples
I learned to listen more closely, to observe more gently, and to speak with more intentionality. Instead of rushing into posing, I asked questions. I paid attention to how couples naturally held each other. I focused on their rhythm.
Every couple brings their own energy into a session, and part of my role is to honor that. To celebrate it. To document it in a way that feels both elevated and true.
matching their rhythm instead of directing it.
Letting the Environment Support the Emotion
The environments I worked in this year played a huge role in how couples interacted with each other. In Arizona, they slowed down. In California, they softened into movement. At Oakshire Estate, they relaxed into the calm of the space. At Europa Village, they embraced the warmth of the venue.
The stillness, the warmth, the quiet pause before everything begins.
I learned to step back and let the environment speak. Let the light guide expression. Let the surroundings add atmosphere to the frame.
By trusting the environment, I allowed couples to feel less like subjects and more like participants in a moment they were living fully.
Creating a Safe, Warm Atmosphere
Quiet luxury is not only about visuals. It is also about how couples feel throughout the experience. I want every person I photograph to feel comfortable in their skin, supported in the process, and celebrated for exactly who they are.
Everything around them works quietly to support what matters most.
This became a cornerstone of my approach in 2025. By inviting softness and authenticity into the session, I created space for more meaningful images. Sessions felt less structured and more collaborative. Couples felt safe enough to be vulnerable. And that vulnerability created some of the most honest photographs of my year.
Behind the Lens: How This Year Changed Me
While travel, collaborations, and weddings shaped my portfolio, the internal transformation shaped my identity. This was a year where I listened more closely to my instinct. Where I learned to trust the in-between moments. Where I let myself slow down creatively.
Learning to See Emotion Before It Happens
I began noticing emotional cues long before they became visible. The way someone’s shoulders relaxed when they felt safe. The shift in breath when a couple moved closer. The softening in the jaw just before a laugh. The tiny adjustments in posture that signaled vulnerability.
Seeing these micro-moments helped me capture images that felt real rather than directed.
Experimenting With Selective Pacing
Instead of rushing from shot to shot, I embraced slower pacing. I let silence exist between moments. I allowed couples to sink into the atmosphere. This shift gave my work a calmness and depth that I am proud of.
Slower pace also helped me become more intentional with composition. I thought more about negative space, leading lines, softened edges, and natural framing.
Refining Communication With Couples
This year also taught me a lot about guiding couples in a way that feels natural, supportive, and emotionally safe. I found a rhythm that allows me to direct gently without interrupting authenticity.
I encouraged couples to move in ways that felt familiar to them. I guided them toward beautiful light without making them feel positioned. I balanced structure with softness.
Couples trusted me more when they felt seen and understood, and that trust created some of the most emotionally compelling images of the year.
A Year of Personal Evolution
Looking back at 2025, I can feel how much I evolved as a photographer and as a person. It was a year that asked me to refine my voice, deepen my perspective, and trust myself creatively.
I learned how much calm shapes my work.
The calmer I felt, the calmer my couples felt. And calmness created some of the most beautifully emotional images I’ve ever taken.
I learned that minimalism can be deeply expressive.
Less distraction. More emotion. Less clutter. More presence.
I learned that the right environments elevate everything.
The setting shapes the story as much as the subjects do.
I learned the value of creative alignment.
Working with planners who share my aesthetic transformed the experience and the result.
I learned that softness is a strength.
Gentle direction. Gentle editing. Gentle composition. It all contributes to images that feel refined and honest.
2025 was not a loud year. It was a steady, meaningful, emotionally rich one. And sometimes, those are the years that shift you the most.
A Deeper Connection to My Creative Identity
2025 helped me articulate what I want my photography to feel like. Not just what it should look like. What it should feel like.
This clarity changed everything about how I shoot and deliver images.
I shifted toward gentle color grading that enhances natural tones.
I refined my compositions to allow room for emotion.
I leaned into the softness of natural light.
I let couples be themselves without forcing a narrative.
I found joy in subtlety.
I found beauty in calm.
I found my voice in simplicity.
My Gratitude for This Year
More than anything, I am grateful. For the couples who let me into their moments. For the planners who trusted me with their vision. For the travel that expanded my creativity. For the weddings that reminded me why I love what I do. For the environments that taught me to see more deeply.
For the soft transformation happening behind the lens.
I am grateful for the growth I didn’t realize I needed.
For the clarity that came quietly.
For the artistry that felt like it finally settled into place.
2025 was a year of intention, refinement, warmth, and evolution. The kind of year you feel deeply long after it ends.
Stepping Into 2026 With Intention
Looking ahead, I feel grounded and inspired. This year prepared me for a season of deeper connection, elevated collaboration, and even more intentional storytelling.
In 2026, I want to:
- photograph weddings that value design and emotional presence
- travel to locations that align with my minimal, warm aesthetic
- collaborate with planners who create thoughtful experiences
- continue exploring refined, editorial-inspired portraiture
- lean further into simplicity, softness, and intentional light
I want my work to:
- feel warm and modern
- communicate intimacy without performance
- balance minimalism with emotional depth
- reflect quiet elegance instead of loud aesthetics
- capture connection in a way that feels effortless
- bring a sense of calm to the viewer
- hold moments in a gentle, timeless way
I am ready to build on what 2025 taught me.
Ready to meet the couples whose stories I will tell.
Ready to stand in new destinations that shape my eye.
Ready to grow in ways I cannot yet see.
For couples or planners who feel aligned with my work, my inquiry form is open, and I would love to connect.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changed for you as a photographer this year?
This year was about refinement more than reinvention. I slowed down, listened more closely, and learned to trust subtle moments. The biggest shift was moving with greater intention, both creatively and emotionally, and allowing space for moments to unfold rather than forcing them.
How does this evolution impact couples you work with?
It means a calmer, more present experience. Couples can expect someone who reads the room, honors emotion as it happens, and creates images that feel honest and lived-in, not rushed or overly posed.
What kind of moments do you prioritize now?
The in-between moments. The pauses. The quiet exchanges that happen before and after the big ones. Those are often the moments couples return to years later because they feel real and personal.
How would you describe your photographic style today?
Intentional, emotional, and refined. I focus on light, texture, movement, and atmosphere while keeping the experience grounded and comfortable for the people in front of my camera.
Do you still give guidance during sessions?
Yes, but gently. I guide when needed and step back when the moment asks for space. The goal is always to help couples feel at ease so their connection leads the way.
What types of couples resonate most with your work now?
Couples who value emotion over perfection, experience over performance, and imagery that feels timeless rather than trendy. Those who want their photos to feel like them.
How does environment play a role in your work?
Environment supports emotion. Whether it’s architecture, landscape, or light, I look for spaces that quietly enhance how a moment feels rather than distracting from it.
What should couples expect when working with you moving forward?
A thoughtful, steady presence. An experience that feels collaborative, calm, and deeply personal. And imagery that reflects not just how the day looked, but how it felt.
