i'm so glad you're here
you could be anywhere in the world right now, but the fact that you're interested in my art and you're taking the time to browse through my website truly means so much to me.
i've spent most of my life here in west michigan, but i'm determined to see as much of the world as i possibly can before my time is up - and my travels have taken me to some incredible places already. i've floated on the dead sea in israel, wandered the halls of la sagrada familia in spain, sipped mojitos in mexico, and played my violin in the cathedrals of italy. i'd have to say i'm most obsessed with stunning coast of the french riviera. truly right out of a storybook. but my love language will always be the sunshine on the beach at lake michigan. so many of my best memories have been made right here.
and that brings me to what i love most about being a photographer - i get to tell a new story every time i pull out my camera. i take photos simply because i'm a storyteller in love with the adventure of being alive. i've been storytelling through images for as long as i can remember, and i've come to believe that all of life's big & small moments are worth capturing.
i would love to help document the milestones in your life in a way that preserves your most precious memories for years to come and captures everything beautifully unforgettable about who you are.
i hope you'll take a moment to say hey, and I can't wait to meet you!
BETTER TOGETHER
my love story
my husband, walter, is my videographer/2nd photographer, my best friend, and my favorite person in the whole world. we met when we were teenagers and had a long-distance friendship that has turned into so much more over the course of the past eight years. we got married in 2021, and i mean it when i say that marriage is just the coolest. we’re so thrilled to be creating together and so grateful to be building our business around something we love to do as a team!
01.
GET TO KNOW ME
i'm the kind of person who parks at the back of the parking lot when it's raining so i can jump in puddles on the way inside. i have private dance parties to billy joel songs when i'm supposed to be cleaning the house. i'll take a good sunrise over a good sunset any day, and my morning will never be complete without a peppermint mocha. no matter the season.
02.
MY PHILOSOPHY
you matter. your story matters. your love matters. i'm so passionate about expressing that truth in every photo i take. i want to capture images that showcase real, authentic feeling. when you look back through your photos, i want you to be being transported back in time to relive the memories over and over again.
03.
DURING YOUR SESSION
let's have FUN! i believe comfort is key to telling a genuine story through photography. my goal is to help you feel confident and at ease, so that you can look back on our time together and think, "wow, that was so much easier than i expected. i can't wait to do it again!" bonus points if you're down to do whatever it takes to get "the shot" :)
joy + zion // grand rapids, mi
"I am so glad that Emma was able to capture our wedding pictures. Looking through them, we felt that she had captured exactly what we were feeling - the joy, the excitement, the beauty of celebration. With Emma, we were completely at ease. She gave us the space to show up as our authentic selves and provided some direction, but was also in the background capturing small and intimate moments. The result was our photos showing who we are on the most special day."
dan + sophia // kalamazoo, mi
"Emma was absolutely wonderful to work with! She made both of us feel comfortable, confident and encouraged during the shoot. She's got a great eye for locations and poses; and has an evident passion for working with people and photography!"
alayna + nathan // kalamazoo, mi
"eeemmmaaaa! I’m overwhelmed! They are so perfect. I want to print them all off and hang them on every wall in our house ♡ thank you so much! we love you and walter!!"
sarah // grand rapids, mi
"Thank you SO much for taking these. I loveeeee them. This was so fun for us and you made us both feel and look so good - seriously cannot thank you enough!!!!"
olivia // lansing, mi
"Emma's photography skills are amazing. The photoshoot itself was so fun! She was so easy to talk to and she had many creative poses that were comfortable for me. When I got my pictures back I was in awe. The editing was amazing. All together I highly recommend Emma if you want quality pictures taken."
mcnees family // kalamazoo, mi
"I’m in love!!!! Thank you so much!! We loved working with you and will definitely be back for future family pictures! ♡"
maria + joshua // south haven, mi
“Emma has a wonderful eye for beauty and detail that just stands out in all her work. She made us feel totally at ease in front of the camera and was a joy to work with!
(And the photos turned out absolutely amazing!)”
peter + justine // kalamazoo, mi
"Aww Emma! Thank you so much!! We absolutely love every single photo. I’m so happy we found you. This is literally the aesthetic that I had envisioned. Thank you!!!"
veronica // reading, mi
"Emma, I just went through this whole album and you’re incredible!!! ♡ Thank you. You captured the feel and esthetic and everything so perfectly!! I can’t wait to really sit down and go through these."