Where It All Began
Home Grown
Well Worn Photography was named after my hometown family farm, Well Worn Farm. It wasn’t perfect or polished. It was old, worn in, and deeply loved, holding years of memories, hard work, and connection within it. Growing up there taught me the value of slowing down, working hard, and appreciating the people and moments that matter most. That belief has carried into my photography, where connection, emotion, and honest moments will always mean more to me than perfection.
Falling in Love With Photography
I’ve been doing photography for about five years now, starting with a required middle school art project that quickly turned into a love for landscape photography. Over time, I photographed landscapes, friends, and cars before realizing how much portrait photography meant to me. I fell in love with capturing real connection and the quiet moments in between poses that feel the most genuine. Looking through my clients’ galleries afterward and seeing those natural moments preserved in a photo is what makes photography so meaningful to me.
Rooted in Small-Town Minnesota
I grew up in New Prague, Minnesota, where life revolved around family, hard work, and the people around you. A lot of my childhood was spent outdoors, on our family farm, and learning to appreciate the little things that often become the most meaningful memories later on. Growing up in a small town shaped the way I see people and connection, and it’s a big part of why my photography feels warm, emotional, and honest rather than overly posed or perfect.
Heartfelt Moments
I know being in front of a camera can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t get photos taken often. Because of that, I approach every session in a relaxed, natural way, where people can simply focus on each other instead of posing perfectly. Some of my favorite photos are the ones that happen naturally, the laughs in between prompts, the teasing, the goofy moments, and the way two people look at each other when they forget the camera is there. I’ll always give guidance when needed, but I care far more about capturing real connection and emotion than creating something overly staged. My goal is for your session to feel comfortable, genuine, and memorable long before you ever receive the final gallery.
Heartfelt Moments
Heartfelt Moments
Behind Well Worn Photography
I grew up in New Prague, Minnesota on a small hobby farm with my four sisters, where life was loud, muddy, imperfect, and full of love. Our home was always surrounded by animals: horses, cows, chickens, goats, pigs, barn cats, bunnies, dogs we adored, and at one point even peacocks, turkeys, and a donkey. My childhood was shaped by early mornings in the barn, dirt under my nails, and the kind of simple moments that don’t seem important until years later when they become the memories you hold onto most. The animals taught me patience, discipline, and quiet connection long before I ever picked up a camera.Â
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Some of my most meaningful memories were spent in my dad’s mechanic shop, where life seemed to happen in between tools, old radios, and classic cars. Birthdays, hard conversations, laughter, and ordinary evenings all unfolded there, and somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the beauty of things that are well-worn and deeply loved. Creativity filled our home in other ways, too, through my mom, who built her own jewelry business from the ground up. Watching her create taught me that art is rarely about perfection. It’s about feeling, intention, and the pieces of ourselves we leave behind in what we make.
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I’ve worked with children for nearly eight years now, and they continue to shape the way I see the world. One of the biggest sources of my creativity continues to come from the children and families I’ve worked with over the years. Children's honesty, imagination, and ability to find joy in the smallest moments constantly reminds me to slow down and see the world differently. Working with children with disabilities has especially shaped the way I connect with people and approach photography with patience, empathy, and authenticity. Children have taught me more about honesty, joy, and human connection than I could ever explain. They notice the things adults often overlook. The softness, the humor, the comfort in simply being themselves. That’s why I fell so deeply in love with portrait photography. I’m drawn to the in-between moments: the laughter that wasn’t planned, the glance toward someone you love, the way people slowly relax and become themselves in front of the camera. Those are the moments that stay with me long after a session ends, and the moments I hope people can feel every time they look back at their photos.