How did you end up in photography?

I have always loved photography, ever since I laid hands on my first camera. I remember wandering around my backyard as a middle schooler, taking photos of anything and everything, playing around with my camera’s manual controls and loving every second of it.

Once I started taking self portraits, I knew I had found my purpose in life. However, I did not take a direct path from school straight into working as a photographer. It took many years, a couple of false starts, and a lot of telling myself that, despite the opinions of others, it actually is possible to be an environmental self portrait photographer and make a living, before I was ready to commit to photography for real.

Now that I have decided to pursue this path, I can’t imagine anything more meaningful or worthy of my time.

What was your professional life like before you decided to pursue photography?

I studied hospitality management in college, and after I graduated I got a job as an event planning assistant at a catering company in theWashington, DC area. This was an excellent use of my type A organizational skills, visual creativity, and love of food, but after a few years Idecided that the fast paced, high-stress environment was not for me. I had been feeling a growing interest in nutrition, and I had alwayswanted to live closer to the mountains, so I moved my partner (now my husband) and myself across the country to Seattle, WA and got mymaster’s in nutrition. After grad school I completed 1200 hours of supervised practice and became a registered dietitian.

My values as a dietitian are rooted in body inclusivity, Health at Every Size, and body trust. I actually own a nutrition private practice, Zesty Nutrition, and I still see clients every week. One of my current goals is to blend my love of self portraiture with my expertise in body image counseling. I am in the process of creating a series of workshops and retreats that will allow just that – opportunities for self portrait photography instruction and practice, as well as time and space for body and self-image exploration and healing.

The values I hold as a dietitian translate directly into my work as a photographer. Self portraiture has been a huge part of my own body acceptance journey, and I try to create for my photography clients the same safe space that I provide for my nutrition clients.

How did you first get into self portrait photography?

I have always been drawn to photography. After I got my first camera, a point-and-shoot I got in middle school, I went through a phase of never leaving home without my camera. In high school I took multiple photography classes, and it was during this time that I discovered the power of self-expression that was available to me through self portraits. I took my first self portrait in 2009, and I have been in love with the art ever since. As a person who has always identified as weird and awkward, self portraiture allows me the opportunity to express myself in my own way. It challenges me to get a little uncomfortable and, at the same time, gives me a safe space to be myself.

How do you decide where to shoot? Is it planned or on a whim?

I plan for general locations where I may take photos, such as choosing a specific hike or travel destination. When it comes to actually taking my photos, however, I tend to choose my composition based on whatever area speaks to me in the moment. This, for me, is a very intentional decision. I tend to default to planning and organizing and over-thinking, and allowing myself to be somewhat spontaneous with my photos is an excellent way for me to practice slowing down and living in the moment.

How do you take your self portraits?

First, I set my camera up on a tripod or other flat surface. Once I’ve framed up my photo, I set my camera’s interval timer to take photos every 1-3 seconds for as long as I want. I often shoot for 30-60 seconds at a time (or more!), review the photos on the back of my camera, and make any changes I feel are necessary to the photo composition before going out again for another round of shooting.

What gear do you use?

I shoot with a Canon R6. The lenses I currently use are the Canon RF 50mm f1.2 (a dream lens!) and the Canon RF 70-200mm f2.8.

Do you use AI in your photos?

No, I do not! All of my photos are 100% real. Traveling to beautiful, sometimes otherworldly locations is one of my favorite things about doing this type of photography. I do make adjustments to the colors and lighting in my photos in Lightroom, but I do all editing by hand and I never, ever, use AI to create elements that were not there. 

What programs do you use to edit your photos?

I use Adobe Lightroom to edit my photos. On occasion, I also use Photoshop for minor corrections.