If I spend longer than a few hours on the couch at my mom's...
the scrapbooks are coming out.
Whether it's Christmas morning or my friends are visiting, these photos are the time machine that spark hours of storytelling, laughing, and revisiting memories.
This is my why.
I'm Dakota, and it has become my life's purpose to document through photos, for myself and for my people.
I care deeply about not letting feelings be forgotten or letting the details fade—and I have a lot of fun doing it.
"From the moment we met her, the energy she brought was just so fun and contagious. The banter was amazing — she made us laugh, kept things light, and made the entire experience feel so natural and comfortable."
- sarah, 2025 bride
there is a delicate balance between documenting and experiencing.
As the person in the room that arguably cares the most about photos, I believe there is a time and place for them.
Photos are a tool for remembering...but you can't remember what you never experienced.
We have to be intentional about not allowing the cameras to take us out of the moment (this is why we have a huge draw towards film!).
As your photographer, I know when to make my presence known and when to simply observe.
every type of photo has a purpose.
We can get caught up in what our "favorite" type of photos are, but every photo has a purpose.
Portraits show us in our best light, perfectly posed and positioned. Candids bring emotion to life. Detail photos provide context and a space for the intricacies to live. Digital photos allow for quick precision and flexibility in all different types of light. Film photos are full of soul and natural nostalgia.
I believe life is full of duality and have found appreciation in a mixed-media approach.
you have to be intentional about your priorities.
The happiest clients with the best galleries are the ones who thoughtfully determined their priorities and communicated their expectations for their events and photos.
If you want to look back fondly on your experience, my advice is to pick your top 3-5 priorities and then allow space for the rest to happen as it will.
This is where we find the magical balance between the planned portraits we don't want to miss and the candid that draws you back into the moment.
Every year I choose a word to set the intention for my year. Having a word that is simple and speaks to all of the things I want to do or achieve in the year helps keep me on track. Plus, I love seeing how it shows up throughout big and small moments, somewhat creating a theme for each year.
Read more about why I picked this year’s word and what I have planned!
current & previous words of the year:
2026: Explore
2025: consistency
2024: energy
2023: prioritize
