I remember when I attended the opening of Culture Flock's brick and mortar store in Springfield, MO. I was just a fan then--intimidated by the seemingly effortless "cool" of owners Brittany and Summer. The shop seemed like a magnet for quirky, cool, art-kids, and a welcoming, safe space for the LGBTQ+ of our conservative-leaning small city. I couldn't believe a shop like this existed in Springfield, MO. I immediately dropped all my money and left with my arms full of graphic tees, keychains, mugs, and books, as well as a calendar of upcoming events and workshops they were hosting. Before Covid, I enjoyed doodling at their open draw nights, attending comedy shows, and other workshops. Then, something magical happened...they asked me to start creating for and with them. 

It's been a few years of collaborating now, and I still can't believe I get to count them as a regular client. I still wonder sometimes if I'm "cool enough"--but when we were shooting this latest new product launch, Brittany asked me now to not be "weird" and I realized...oh, we all feel weird and like we're not cool enough to hang with the other kids sometimes. And that's what I love about Culture Flock...the weirdos are the cool kids there. Everyone is welcome. Even your odd friend, existential dread. 

For the art kid, the queer kid, the cry baby, the different kid, the cool kid...who grew into an adult that wonders where they belong in this small conservative town...I recommend Culture Flock--both for gifts that hit the sweet spot, and for the chance to meet other cool weirdos looking for their kind of people. 

If you're looking for cool, unique gifts--check out Culture Flock!

If you need product photos for your business, shoot me a message and let's talk!

The Springfield Art Museum is like a second home to me at this point--photographing their exhibits and events (oh, how I miss Art Museum events!), as well as designing their postcards, banners, and newsletters has become one of my favorite consistent Designing Indie jobs. For these staff headshot updates, I brought my home studio set-up to the Art Museum. We shot everyone over the course of two days to accommodate for their schedules.

While more creative, editorial type photoshoots are more my jam, sometimes it's nice to just strip it all away and capture people as they are. For photoshoots, either in my studio or on-site, I have a variety of photo backdrops to choose from: white paper, grey paper, green paper, pink paper, blue paper, yellow paper, gold velvet, red velvet, pink satin, blue sequins, gold sequins, silver sequins, beige fabric, navy fabric, etc. Something for everyone!

Ready to schedule your shoot and get your staff photos updated for 2021 and beyond? Send me a message and let's talk! We can be as formal or informal and creative as you want!

The Ladies of the Springfield Regional Arts Council were such a blast to photograph. I love that they went for the bright pink backdrop and I think it complimented each of them so beautifully. They are working on a website revamp and wanted update staff headshots to compliment their new design. I can't wait to see it all come together!

For this shoot, I brought my studio set-up to their office at The Creamery. I set up in the Library and they each came in for a mini shoot session. I was able to get all 6 mini sessions done in just over an hour. I edited them and turned them in less than 24 hours later. 

Could your office benefit from updated headshots? Schedule me to come shoot a studio set-up at your office! Quick, affordable, high-quality headshots--what's not to love?

Senior photos have come a long way since I was a graduating senior in 2004! I love the creative willingness of kids today and how they own who they are and what they love. For Belinda's senior photos, she sent me a Pinterest board of images she loved and from that I derived two central themes: Food & Fields. 

We decided on two set-ups/looks: one centered around the fridge and her favorite snacks (chips and cereal) and another centered around a chair in a field at sunset. I highly relate to these two moods for I too am either in an oversized shirt snacking out of the fridge or fancy--or anyway, I used to get fancy when I places to go be fancy in. Maybe I'll be fancy again someday. Or maybe, like this photoshoot shows, you don't need anyplace to go be fancy in. You can be fancy in a field just for the joy of it. 

I loved creating these! If you are interested in getting creative with your Senior photos, shoot me a message!

When I moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting in 2008, one of the first places I found my "community" was in a new start-up theatre company then called A though Z. I ultimately became their first Resident Artist and enjoyed several years of helping grow the theater company that would come to be known as The Vagrancy. 

That theatre company was my make-shift home away from home and family. We had weekly actor workouts, read old and new plays, and eventually started a group of emerging playwrights to write new plays each year which would be workshopped cultivating in a new play reading series called Blossoming. I always loved being a part of watching a new play be born--it's an exciting process being in the room where it happens when a new scene works for the first time, grows wings and soars.

I left LA after 6 years to come to Springfield, MO. A few years after I left, Caitlin Hart, The Vagrancy's Founder & Artistic Director, moved to Michigan where she created a Michigan Chapter of The Vagrancy. This is their first year doing their own Blossoming New Play Reading Series. While I haven't been a member of The Vagrancy in years, I've enjoyed being involved in other creative ways by creating their social media play posters and doing some illustrations for their virtual play readings last year.  

Here are the four social media posters for the Blossoming (Michigan) brand new plays. In many cases, the plays are in the final stages of being written and developed so I didn't read these plays before creating these posters. Instead, I rely on a few basic questions about the play to come up with a poster:

• What is the tone of the play? 
• What is the genre of the play? 
• About the play - synopsis 
• Any specific color/font/image requests 

From there, I usually get a few images in my head to start putting things together. Then, it goes through a round or two of edits as the writer and director fine-tune anything I may need to change to make the poster a more accurate representation of the play.  Finally, they are approved, and posted to instagram/facebook and on various websites to promote the upcoming plays. 

As someone who enjoys creating in many different styles, developing these posters is always fun because they are each so unique. 

If you are interested in checking out any of these plays--good news, no matter where you live, you can enjoy them! They are all virtual this year. Get tickets here!

Do you need help with a graphic design or  illustration project? Don't hesitate to reach out!

I've been fortunate to be the official Photographer for the Springfield Art Museum's exhibits and events for the last few years, and this year, I am super excited to add Graphic Designer to that title!

My first assignment was to create a banner and the postcard for the Springfield Art Museum's upcoming exhibit The Inferno of Dante: Etchings by Michael Mazur​.

I can't wait to check out this exhibit! How about you? 

This was a super fun in studio photoshoot with musician and poet Molly. Her inspo board she sent me was full of bright colors and moods. She wanted photos to use to promote her upcoming album, and possibly for the album cover art as well. We collaborated on the direction in the weeks leading up to the shoot, passing phots and ideas back and forth. 

She brought her boyfriend along for moral support and my dog Olive also joined us in the studio to help with moral and soundtrack snoring. We collaborated on her outfit and then I did hair and make-up while Lizzo filled the studio with pump-up music.

For the shoot itself, we switched over to ABBA for some different vibes and began work on creating sparkly, moody, colorful work. I love how these turned out! What do you think?

If you like what you see and are ready to book me to help make your creative vision come to life, shoot me a message and let's get started!

I created some social media play posters for The Vagrancy--my old theater home back in Los Angeles. This pandemic has been hard for theater companies, but I love all the innovative ways theater-makers have worked to continue their craft in these challenging times. The Vagrancy has a new play reading festival every year where they debut new works created that year by their writers group. It's so exciting to watch new plays be born and stumble to their feet where they start to come alive. Throughout the pandemic they have been able to continue this tradition by doing virtual play readings of these pieces--which is especially cool since this now enables people to join from anywhere in the world! They commissioned me to create some posters for these new plays, and here are a few of my favorites. 

I remember the first time I went to Culture Flock--it was the grand opening of their brick and mortar. I was so pleasantly surprised to discover a place like this existed in Springfield, MO. An inclusive, inspiring, creative environment with all kinds of fun trinkets, clothes, and gifts--plus, a workshop space and fun events?! What!

I remember thinking how cool it would be to work with them--at the time I had just started my business and it felt like a far off dream. Then, not long after that, they reached out to have me do some photos for them and have been using me consistently ever since. And I still feel like I've been called to sit at the cool kids table every time. 

Happy 8th birthday to Culture Flock! I'm so glad you exist here. And I am so grateful to be a creative collaborator with such a cool group of people. 

Also, Happy Pride Month! Culture Flock has new pride shirts in three different colors! Support your local LGBTQ+ owned shop this month with a new shirt or gift from Culture Flock and an empowering, creative photoshoot with yours truly!

This was such a fun family photoshoot. I love shooting families that genuinely enjoy each other's company. I also love families where the kids have a billion ideas and are excited to just play and have fun during the shoot. All these things were in play on this day--Plus, it was just a gorgeous day, after a week of storms so the greens were lush and the sky was beautiful!

If you love what you see here, shoot me a message and book me to capture your family!