For the milestones. The ordinary days. And everything in between.
Some stories begin with a celebration. Others begin with uncertainty, a goodbye, a new chapter, or an ordinary Tuesday. Whatever season of life you’re in, there’s something worth remembering.
Explore the StoriesDocument Your StoryPhotographs should preserve how life felt, not just how it looked. I follow your lead, observe, and keep the moments that might otherwise be forgotten, whether extraordinary or ordinary.
Oh dear, it’s all worth keeping.
The art of noticing. Seeing the small thing before it passes.
A warm ache for what was. The feeling a photograph can keep.
Each moment happens one time, and so does who we are in it. Becoming, always.
It started on the streets of Japan.
Before there was Oh Dear Diaries, there was a camera, a walk, and no plan. I learned there to notice people living their ordinary days, and to trust that those were the moments worth keeping.
Draft copy · to be rewritten in your own words and photographs
Where it starts to feel like something.
Some moments are over before anyone thinks to hold on to them. This one, you can still hear.
Before they remember, you will. Everything else keeps moving. Here, for a minute, nothing has to.
Not the destination. The part in between, when no one is performing and everyone is just a little bit happy.
Found, not staged.
Placeholders · scroll the filmstrip sideways
Less posing. More living.
Traditional posed
A rehearsed smile and a perfect frame. Beautiful, but it often records how everyone arranged themselves.
Documentary
You carry on as you naturally would. I follow and observe, with gentle direction only when it helps. Imperfect, honest, yours.
Every season of life.
Families, couples, athletes, business owners, and anyone moving through something beautiful or difficult.
As We Are
An independent archive of real stories and lived experiences, separate from my client work. Stories are shared only with participants’ permission.
Enter the projectBe part of itStart with the first line.
Opens your email app with your note. Nothing is stored on this site.
From hello to your gallery.
Inquiry
Send your request through Book Your Story, or email me. Tell me about you, your people and the chapter you’re in.
Intro call
Before anything is scheduled, we have a short call by phone, FaceTime, Google Meet or Zoom. We get to know each other, talk through your story, and settle the details.
Your session
The day itself. No stiff posing. I follow your lead and quietly document what’s really there.
Your gallery
Your edited photographs arrive in a private online gallery, ready to keep, print and pass down.
Chapters of a life.
Each collection is a chapter. Every standard session includes professionally selected and edited high-resolution photographs and a private online gallery.
Two ways to begin.
Book a single session, or become a member and save on every session. Every price here is a proposal and may change before launch.
| Way to begin | What you pay | Per session |
|---|---|---|
| One session (à la carte) | $195 · 30 min (45 min $245, 60 min $295) | $195 |
| Founding Family (limited pilot) | $249 total, 3 sessions, frame included | $83 |
| The Seasons (Coming Soon) | $55/month × 12 = $660 · 4 sessions | $165 |
| The Family Diary (Coming Soon) | $70/month × 12 = $840 · 6 sessions | $140 |
À la carte menu, by collection
| Collection | Single / à la carte | Package options (all proposed) |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday Moments | $195 · 30 min | Founding Family $249 (3) · Seasons $660/yr (4) · Family Diary $840/yr (6) |
| Becoming (motherhood) | $399 beginnings, 3 sessions | Becoming $749 (5 sessions, frame and print) · First Year $1,199 (8 sessions, album) · single session $195 |
| Growing Years | Athlete or graduation from $199 | Season-long athlete journal from $599 · team and event $250/hr, 2-hr minimum |
| The Gathering | $495 for 2 hours | Each additional hour $200 |
| The Journey | Half-day $900 · full-day $1,500 | Multi-day quoted · travel costs quoted separately |
| Love Stories | Engagement $395 · anniversary $295 | Elopement from $1,200 · wedding from $2,200 (5 hours) |
| Pets and Companions | from $195 | Add to any session, or book alone |
| Human Experience | from $195 | Scope and price discussed privately |
| Makers | Mini $350 | Half-day $900 · full-day $1,600 · ongoing plans quoted |
| Creative | Editorial or themed from $395 · half-day $900 | Portfolio shoot scope quoted |
Why become a member
| One session | The Seasons | The Family Diary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $195 | $55/month ($660) | $70/month ($840) |
| Sessions | 1 | 4, one per season | 6, flexible |
| Cost per session | $195 | $165 | $140 |
| You save | — | $120 vs singles | $330 vs singles |
| Pre-book your dates | Book when ready | Pre-book ahead, at least 2 weeks before each session | Pre-book ahead, at least 2 weeks before each session |
| Preferred pricing on prints, film and keepsakes | Standard | Yes | Yes |
| Photographer who already knows your family | — | Yes | Yes |
| A year of your story, in order | — | Yes | Yes, with more room for the unexpected |
Prints, books and keepsakes
| Keepsake | Price (proposed) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Snap frame, swap-in photos | from $85 | Change the photo whenever you like. Extra prints from $20 |
| Prints | from $20 | 5×7 to 24×36; sizes on the Prints page |
| Photo book, softcover | from $95 | Your favorites from a session or a season |
| Photo book, hardcover | from $165 | |
| Heirloom album | from $395 | |
| Photo calendar | from $55 | Twelve months of your own photographs |
| Mug | from $28 | |
| Throw blanket | from $110 | |
| Pillow | from $55 | |
| Tote bag | from $35 | |
| Magnets, ornaments, keychains | from $18 | Gifts for grandparents |
| Postcards with your photos | set of 25 from $55 | Printed with your own images, on photo paper |
| Photo greeting and holiday cards | set of 25 from $65 | Your photograph and message; envelopes included |
| Invitations and announcements | set of 25 from $85 | Birthdays, showers, birth announcements, save-the-dates; envelopes included |
| Mail-ready service | $25 plus postage | Envelopes addressed with your list and return address, stamped, handed to you ready to send |
| Framed portrait | from $165 |
Keepsake prices are proposed and depend on the supplier. Members get preferred pricing.
Add anything to any session
| Add-on | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 35mm film | $95 per roll | developed and scanned |
| Medium-format film | $125 per roll | developed and scanned |
| Super 8 | $175 per cartridge | about 3 minutes, digitized |
| Extra retouched photos | $15 each | beyond your gallery selection |
| Extra coverage | $100 per 30 min | added to any session |
| Prints | from $20 | 5×7; larger sizes on the Prints page |
| Album | from $395 | |
| Framed portrait | from $165 | |
| Additional session | $195 | booked outside a package |
| Rush editing | $75 | |
| Travel | quoted | agreed in advance |
Galleries include all professionally selected and edited photographs, with a minimum 3-week turnaround depending on the package. Raw files are not included. Full terms are shown before you book.
What would you like to remember?
A full booking form is the next page we build. Until a form service is connected, inquiries go by email.
An independent documentary archive.
Because life rarely announces when something is about to become a memory.
As We Are is a documentary project about ordinary, unposed life: less posing, less performing, more of how things really are. It is for people who want proof of how their life actually felt. You do not need a dramatic story to belong here.
Sessions are free. In return, selected photographs or video may be used for the project, always on the terms you agree to. You can skip any question, and you review the privacy and usage terms before you submit anything.
An independent documentary project about what it means to be human, told through real stories and lived experiences. It is separate from my paid photography, and nothing is ever shared without a participant’s permission.
Becoming · Grief · New Beginnings · Transitions · Reckoning · Redemption · Identity · Health · Family · Ordinary Life
None are published yet. Each story appears only after the participant has agreed in writing.
Details to come.
Applying does not guarantee selection. Your application is private, and you choose what, if anything, is ever published.
Be part of As We AreQuestions first? Email me.
Tell me your story.
This questionnaire is how you apply to be part of As We Are. Take your time. Every session is free, applying does not guarantee selection, and you decide what is shared.
About you
- Your name, email, phone and Instagram or social handle
- A little about yourself and the season of life you’re in
- What you want to remember from this chapter
- The everyday moments that feel most meaningful
- Who would be included, and where you feel most like yourself
- Places, routines, objects or traditions that matter to you
- How comfortable you are being photographed candidly
- Anything you do not want photographed
Scheduling
- Days and times you’re generally available
- Dates you’re unavailable
- How far you’re comfortable travelling
- How soon you’d like your session
Consent & privacy
- The session is free and participants are not paid
- Whether your photos or video may be shared on social media and the As We Are website
- Whether your first name and parts of your story may be shared
- Permission for any children, from a parent or legal guardian
- Your voluntary agreement to take part
If the questionnaire doesn’t appear above, use the Open the questionnaire button. Questions? Email me.
Photographer. Storyteller. Documentarian. Archivist.
Reno, Nevada
I’m a mother, a storyteller, and a photographer who believes ordinary moments matter as much as milestones. I want to keep how life felt, not only how it looked.
I follow your lead and photograph life as it unfolds, candid and observational, with gentle direction only when it helps.
A photograph is a sentence. A season of them is a story. I care about how a day felt to the people in it.
It began with street documentary photography in Japan, learning to notice people in their ordinary days. That habit of noticing still guides the work.
I build lasting collections, and I believe photographs should be physical: printed, framed, and passed down.
Film & Super 8.
Film is slower, grainier, and less predictable, which is part of why it feels like remembering. Digital gives clean, flexible, reliable files. Film gives texture and a little mystery. Many families choose both.
35mm film
Classic grain and warm color. Processed and scanned, then delivered in your gallery.
Medium-format film
Larger negatives, softer detail, a slower and more deliberate rhythm.
Super 8
Silent, flickering home-movie footage, in the spirit of old family reels.
Darkroom & archival prints
Prints made to be held, framed and passed down. Availability to be confirmed.
Film needs extra processing and scanning time, so delivery takes longer than digital. Results are artistic and never guaranteed. Film pricing: 35mm is $95 per roll and medium format $125 per roll (both developed and scanned), Super 8 is $175 per cartridge (about 3 minutes, developed and digitized), and darkroom prints start at $65 (8×10).
The Archive.
Only you, as the site editor, can upload. Compress to under 20 MB first (720p or 1080p H.264 works for 29 seconds). Add a short written description for accessibility.
The Journal.
Diary-style stories to accompany the photographs. Turn the pages, one entry at a time.
Prints & Keepsakes.
Photographs are meant to be held. The shop is where your memories become things you can touch, frame, and pass down.
Nothing here is for sale yet. There is no cart or checkout until a payment provider is connected and products are enabled. Use the form below to ask about any item.
Fine-art prints
$20 (5×7) to $295 (24×36)
PlannedArchival prints
$45 (8×10) to $345 (24×36)
PlannedLarge wall portraits
From $295 (24×36). Larger sizes quoted.
PlannedInterchangeable frames
Price set once a frame supplier is chosen
PlannedReplacement prints
New prints for a frame you already own, from $20 each.
PlannedPhoto albums
Heirloom albums from $395
PlannedMemory boxes
Price set once a supplier is chosen
PlannedGift cards
Any amount from $50
PlannedPrices shown are proposed and nothing is charged here. This opens an email.
Client Galleries.
After your session, your private gallery link arrives by email. Galleries are delivered through Pixieset and protected there. This website never lists anyone’s gallery links or passwords.
A client portal where you can see your sessions and galleries in one place is planned. It needs a login system, which is not connected yet.
A Lifetime of Little Moments.
Life doesn’t happen all at once. It unfolds in ordinary mornings, birthdays, changing seasons, new beginnings, and moments we don’t realize we’ll miss. Our memberships are designed to preserve more than one chapter.
Proposed prices are shown below. Nothing here is charged. Full membership terms, including how monthly billing works, are shown in full and agreed to before you sign.
The Seasons
12 months ($660 total). Four sessions, one per season, about $165 each. Booked singly, four sessions would be $780, so you save $120.
The Family Diary
12 months ($840 total). Six sessions, about $140 each. Booked singly, six sessions would be $1,170, so you save $330.
Or one session
One 30-minute session, no commitment. 45 minutes $245, 60 minutes $295. The membership rate per session is always lower.
Why become a member
| One session | The Seasons | The Family Diary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $195 | $55/month ($660) | $70/month ($840) |
| Sessions | 1 | 4, one per season | 6, flexible |
| Cost per session | $195 | $165 | $140 |
| You save | — | $120 vs singles | $330 vs singles |
| Pre-book your dates | Book when ready | Pre-book ahead, at least 2 weeks before each session | Pre-book ahead, at least 2 weeks before each session |
| Preferred pricing on prints, film and keepsakes | Standard | Yes | Yes |
| Photographer who already knows your family | — | Yes | Yes |
| A year of your story, in order | — | Yes | Yes, with more room for the unexpected |
Members can pre-book sessions ahead of time, at least 2 weeks before the session date.
Keepsakes for members
| Keepsake | Price (proposed) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Snap frame, swap-in photos | from $85 | Change the photo whenever you like. Extra prints from $20 |
| Prints | from $20 | 5×7 to 24×36; sizes on the Prints page |
| Photo book, softcover | from $95 | Your favorites from a session or a season |
| Photo book, hardcover | from $165 | |
| Heirloom album | from $395 | |
| Photo calendar | from $55 | Twelve months of your own photographs |
| Mug | from $28 | |
| Throw blanket | from $110 | |
| Pillow | from $55 | |
| Tote bag | from $35 | |
| Magnets, ornaments, keychains | from $18 | Gifts for grandparents |
| Postcards with your photos | set of 25 from $55 | Printed with your own images, on photo paper |
| Photo greeting and holiday cards | set of 25 from $65 | Your photograph and message; envelopes included |
| Invitations and announcements | set of 25 from $85 | Birthdays, showers, birth announcements, save-the-dates; envelopes included |
| Mail-ready service | $25 plus postage | Envelopes addressed with your list and return address, stamped, handed to you ready to send |
| Framed portrait | from $165 |
Keepsake prices are proposed and depend on the supplier. Members get preferred pricing.
Payment plan
Under consideration: pay in full, deposit then balance, or installments. To be finalized. Taking payments needs Stripe to be connected, and you will see every term before you agree.
Frame benefit
An initial qualifying frame may be included, depending on the plan. Frame suppliers, sizes and finishes are to be confirmed, and frame pricing is set once a supplier is chosen.
Terms to be finalized
Billing frequency, minimum commitment (if any), cancellation, renewal, remaining-session rules, frame ownership, and refunds.
Questions, answered gently.
Some answers say “to be finalized” because policies and prices are still being set.