Hey there, I’m Wendy!
One day, your photographs will matter more than you ever expected.
I know that because I’ve lived it.
I’m Wendy, and my love for photography didn’t begin as a business.
It began as a way to hold onto moments I never wanted to forget.
My Why
Why do I do what I do? Well, the reasons have evolved over time.
My husband and I love to travel, especially to warm beach destinations. Talk about plenty of gorgeous landscapes to photograph! So, the point and shoot camera wasn't cutting it, thus we purchased a DSLR.
Cancun, Mexico
Then I had to learn how to use that beast :)
A few years later, we were blessed with our first son, and my passion for photography grew as I desired to capture every tiny detail of this sweet little man.
Side note: This sweet little man is now 14, has a mustache, is as tall as me, and wears a size 10 mens shoe. Crazy how fast time goes by!
Not quite 16 months later we were blessed with our second son, with oh so many sweet moments to capture that I never wanted to forget. I mean, you're so sleep deprived as a new parent that it's hard to remember what you had for breakfast, let alone the minute details of your child's long eyelashes, those paper-thin fingernails, and yes, even the slobber. Because someday they won't slobber so much and you'll forget all about it. I wanted to remember everything, slobber and all.
Side note (again): The sweet little man below is now almost 13, easily a full 2+” taller than me, with a dark mustache and wears a mens size 11 shoe!
Check out that slobber :)
And I want to help you remember those details of your family too. So while I still enjoy photographing my own family, I am truly delighted to do this for others. I want to help YOU preserve your family's memories. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true.
Which brings me to the most important reason for my why....
When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, I was expecting our first son. No one knew if this was something she would beat or not. I wanted our son to have as much time with Grandma as possible, and to have photographs for him to remember that time with her, just in case.
She passed away in 2013. Our oldest son was young enough that he doesn't remember his Grandma Rosemary (and our youngest was a 2 month old newborn), but he has photographs of him with Grandma that he will treasure forever. They help him remember Grandma.
My mom was one of my biggest supporters of my photography journey, and always told me my photos were wonderful, even if they really weren't :) I love her and miss her.
And I never anticipated this.....I've had the privilege and honor of photographing families when it was their last portrait together. Sometimes it was expected, but for a few others it was not. In the midst of heartache, I was able to help these families order prints to preserve their precious memories.
Photographs matter.
To me, that's priceless. That's my why. And I would be honored to photograph your family.
A little more about my background: I spent years as a registered nurse before turning my passion for photography into a full-time business, and honestly that RN training shows up in this work more than you might expect.
The attention to detail, the ability to put nervous people at ease, the instinct to anticipate every question before it's asked. It's all still very much a part of how I operate.
Over the past 11+ years I've been recognized as a Des Moines Parent Family Favorite and a Community Votes West Des Moines winner, and my work has been featured in six national senior photography publications including Senior Style Guide, Senior Muse, Senior Year Magazine, Senior Luxe, and SeniorSZN, as well as Canvas Rebel and Redfin's guide to what locals love about Des Moines.
I share that not to brag, but because I know you have choices, and I want you to feel confident that you're in good hands.
Want more information about a portrait session? Contact me today so that we can go over all the details and start planning your amazing senior or family photo session!