Long Island Photograher

 Long Island born and raised (on it, in it… whatever 😂), mom to the coolest kiddo alive and a few fur kids, wife to the best man I know, and the face behind the camera here. I am a full blown New Yorker. I curse a lot, laugh way too loud, I have mild road rage, and I take my BECs very seriously. Pizza and bagels are a lifestyle, not a choice, and my family and friends mean everything to me. I live right in that sweet spot between girly girl and tomboy. I love makeup, hair, and fashion—you might get the notorious pink-haired Gina at your session or maybe blonde, blue or orange, who knows?—but, I also love 90s punk, grungy vibes, nature and going on adventures. My son DJ (the Blink 182 cake smash baby in my portfolio) is basically my tiny pop punk legacy. As a snowboarder, the mountains are my second home, and while sitting still is definitely difficult, I love slow days filled with family cuddles, movies, and way too much junk food. I also have a very serious Amazon addiction. Boxes show up so often my kid calls them “presents for Mommy,” and honestly, he’s not wrong. One of those pre-mom “presents” was a camera… and that one kinda changed my entire life.

 

I always knew I was meant to do something creative. I went to school for fashion design and merchandising, tried the whole “responsible adult” thing with a law firm job, and hated every second of it. I quit, went back to fashion, and started a custom purse business. That’s when I bought a good camera to photograph my work and realized two things very quickly…one, I had no idea how to use it, and two, I was way more obsessed with taking the photos than making the purses. So I went all in. I learned everything I could, practiced nonstop, and fell completely in love with photography. I eventually had to choose between the business I built and the thing that lit me up, and that was terrifying. My husband Derek was the one who said “go for it” before I even believed I could. He held my hand while I let go of one dream and chased a bigger one.

 

That leap happened in 2012 and 2013, and I haven’t looked back since. Now I get to create art, meet amazing families, and freeze the moments that matter most, all while still ordering way too many “presents for Mommy.” And honestly, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.