Jaci and Nick - Kalamazoo Engagement Photos at Home

Okay, this one is special for me for a few reasons.
Jaci and Nick have been together since high school, and have seen, accepted, and loved all of the different versions of each other that have come since they first met.
In addition, they are actual family to me through a series of relationships and marriages, and there’s certainly a connection you get from sharing a cabin away from phone service on a vacation that doesn’t simply go away.

They used winter as the perfect excuse to document the first home they own together, and wove pieces of their story throughout the shoot. Their fur babies, playing games together, and even the classic date night at home (which is never complete without a bottle of wine, and vinyl to dance to).

Alongside the digital photos, I shot some Kodak Gold film, which leans into the nostalgic and sentimental vibes, and I was pretty stoked with how they turned out.

Congrats Jaci and Nick, I can’t wait for even more joy, and even more film on your wedding day!

Lauren - Kalamazoo studio portraits

I always find myself craving creative work to help make the Michigan winters seem a little more bearable, and a little more … short. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of cold weather activities to be enjoyed, but for me, they are drastically overshadowed by the lack of sunshine and drivable roads. Paired with the overwhelming amount of brown and beige, I look for color in photos where I can.
When Lauren reached out to me, we went back and forth on portrait themes until we landed on this moody and colorful concept.
She does her own hair and makeup, and she put together this sweet look to complement a lot of experimental photo techniques, and I had the best time working with her on these (We even snuck a film soup by Dubblefilm shot in here).

Thanks for making the season a lot more joyful Lauren!