Hi, I’m Ellen, and I’d like to take your photo.

I have been contemplating this introduction for months now. I’ve thought this over countless times. How will I do it? What will I say? Will people like it?

Finally, I came to a conclusion. There is no perfect way. I just need to do it. Put myself out there. Tell people I’m a photographer, and I want to take their photo. So, here I am. I’m a photographer, and I’d like to take your photo. 

For those of you who know me personally, you know I’m often at family gatherings or special events with my camera in hand. I fell in love with photography back in college. I spent countless hours in the darkroom developing candid shots of my family. Some of those photographs are my most cherished, especially ones of my nana. My favorite happens to be one of her flipping me off and sticking her tongue out at me…but I won’t take it personally. It’s raw. It’s true. It’s her, and I love it.

Nearly a dozen years later, my favorite subjects are my niece, Maeve, and my nephew, Patrick (it helps that they’re the cutest little blonde and redhead I ever laid my eyes on…I know, I’m biased). I strive to freeze their smiles, innocent gazes, and curiosity in photographs that capture their normal, un-staged moments at home. It has become my passion to capture moments that will define their childhood: riding bikes in the driveway, playing blocks in the living room, or throwing rocks into the lake. 

Why do I tell you all of this? Because I’d like to capture the moments that matter most to you, too.

So, here I am. Open for business.