The two year old being taken off of life support showed me the importance of hands in expressing connectedness. An empty house I filmed for a woman whose father died during covid reminded me of how many memories are contained within our environment. The mother who held her baby for the first and last time showed me the unmistakable bond between a mother and her child. From birth until death, from joy to grief, whenever I put the camera up to my face I am taking a step into that person’s shoes and feeling their emotions alongside them. My passion for family filmmaking was born from bereavement sessions. I don’t want anyone waiting until their everyday, ordinary joys are gone to realize it’s the little things that are most important. I vowed to find a way to help people preserve these precious memories in moments of joy. The challenge is often that people don’t fully understand the importance of these little moments until their kids are grown and they can’t go back in time.

From this passion the “Images” of Joy” podcast was born, ranked #3 in Visual Arts in the US and in the top 200 for 10 other charts across the globe. Through discussions with other photographers and by sharing stories of my own journey, I encourage listeners to capture sparks of joy in ordinary, everyday moments for their own families.