If you had asked me at the start of this year whether I would be closing it out as a photographer, the answer would have been a pretty confident no. I was just a few months postpartum with my second kid and had just returned to work and begun to find some sort of groove with training- in the midst of some life chaos- specifically our house partially flooded special thanks to a baby onesie and the remodel that followed after….needless to say- photography was absolutely not on my mind! We were juggling a lot as a new family of 4 (7, if you count the 4 legged critters)
Come March and getting thru the remodel- I started laying down the groundwork for a podcast my husband had long been working on. We needed a camera and I was curious about photography but still I was focused on getting our house back together and remodeling the office for the podcast. Photography was not initially part of the plan but in hindsight maybe it had always been there and life (God!) has nudged me toward this road all along.
Growing up, I was always the unofficial photographer. I brought a camera everywhere. Between gymnastics meets, cross country races, and track events, I was usually the one capturing teammates, friends, family. I always reminded people to get pictures of their special moments. I just never considered that curiosity as something I would turn into a profession.
So when one of my closest friends (who is an amazing motherhood photographer!) casually said, “You should try taking pictures of your family,”
So I did! (and of all my roses too!)–
I picked up my camera in April with no expectations beyond documenting my own life, friends and teammates at 10th Planet Happy Valley (my training ground in this sport and photography!) Around that same time, I enrolled in my first photography course mostly because I wanted to understand my camera better and stop relying purely on instinct. I wondered ‘what if?’ The curiousity expanded so quick because I realized that there were other elements that needed to fall into place for a dream I was realizing.
So within about a month, I also built an entire website. I learned how to structure pages, write copy, SEO, google rankings (#1!) and even some coding! It was a steep learning curve and is a never ending task but it really was an important element in positioning myself as a sports photographer and ensuring long term visibility.
Finding my way to tournament photography
Because I’m an athlete myself, it felt natural to explore sports photography. I had always sought pictures of myself as an athlete and took pictures of other athletes/teammates over the years. Documenting effort and momvement had always been part of how I experienced my sports.
My very first tournament was Submission Hunter in June. At the time, I didn’t even own a professional camera by sports/family photographer standards. Let alone a high quality lens. I showed up anyway, learned what I could, and walked away knowing I wanted to do this better
The real turning point came in July, when Fight to Win was coming to Portland. (And I upgraded my gear LOL)
I had been considering another opportunity- but I realized it wasn’t aligned with where I wanted to go or the kind of work I wanted to build long-term. Being very new in this space, I knew that building intentional relationships mattered- especially with people who already valued the work and the athletes it served.
So I reached out to the lead photographer for Fight to Win when I realized they were coming to Portland, Oregon. I half expected no response; people are busy! What I received instead was generosity, encouragement, and a genuine welcome. We sat side by side that entire night, photographing matches, talking shop between bouts, and sharing stories. It felt collaborative and that experience deeply influenced how I want to show up in this space.
Looking back- this decision had a tremendous positive ripple effect over the course of the next several months and opened doors for me that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to walk thru. The lead photographer of F2W became a friend and mentor. I was proud of myself for trusting and believing in myself enough to reach out to the lead of F2W instead of staying small and making a different decision.
That night also marked my first tournament where everything clicked. The images were stronger. I finally felt like I was translating what I saw and felt into photographs that portrayed that energy.
Trust
From there, things moved quickly. Almost too quick ha!
I returned to Submission Hunter, then photographed Sub Kumite, where I stepped into the role of lead photographer. That was a big moment that stretched me in all the right ways- not just creatively, but logistically and mentally. I had a huge volume of interest in my work following that event and navigating that was a challenge to balance with family life but I got thru it. It was ultimately a blessing because it showed me several things- including that I could make this business something that fits my life- with some more learning and growing!
Next came Roll-A-Lot, and by that point, photography was no longer something I was “trying.” It was something I was building.
I was slowly building a business from the ground up but the number one most important piece was to ensure that the business wasn’t running me.
My guiding question became simple:
How do I make this work for my life, not against it?
Because there is absolutely passion but passion doesn’t matter if it first does not lend to long term sustainability.
I then leaned heavily into automation- streamlining booking, delivery, and communication while still protecting the client experience. I wanted athletes and families alike to feel supported, informed, and cared for, even when my time was limited. Still a work in progress but I made big shifts in this area that has already made an impact.
No-Gi Worlds and a Season of Deep Learning
Looking back- there are a lot of moments from the past few months that I am proud of. I really jumped in head-first, ask-questions-later kind of way and with a lot of work and support from my friends, family, teammates- its all worked out! One of the moments I’m most proud of this year was being accepted to photograph No-Gi Worlds. The email came at a time where it was the furthest from my mind- knee deep in planning Christmas magic for my kids, my dad was headed into open heart surgery- something that was very unexpected and scary and I was just feeling overwhelmed. I had called my mom to chat about the opportunity- one who has always been fairly conservative in her decision making and she along with my husband really pushed me to go! And so I went- with the encouragement of my family and the push from a couple other photographers. I felt so immensely grateful that I had so many people who were excited for me and believed in me.
That opportunity felt big and it was great! I met so many other passionate photographers, some who have been doing this for a long time and others also more young in the space. I met many families and athletes over the weekend who were so excited to have photos of their matches which really just made my heart swell. Photos have always been so important to me as an athlete and now especially as a mom and it felt full circle to be able to provide that for others. It was also a meaningful- and ultimately successful- test of the business model and systems I had been quietly building and refining. Choosing to trust my instincts around the value of this work mattered to me and was an important moment and lesson.
Much of my growth this year didn’t happen in ideal conditions. It happened at 4:30/5am, during baby nap times, pump breaks at work, and while breastfeeding my baby. Learning happened in stolen moments where I chose to learn, work, edit instead of rest- not because I felt pressure, but because I genuinely wanted to challenge myself in a new way.
I dove headfirst into a new skill set, and I’m proud of the fact that I didn’t wait for perfect timing. I worked with the time I had. (All while mostly…mostly* protecting family time and other things that mattered!)
Family Work
While tournaments became the backbone of my year, family photography quietly wove itself through everything.
Those early images of my own family changed the way I see connection, light, and storytelling. Family sessions reminded me to slow down, to look for softness, intimacy and to honor the everyday moments that often go undocumented.
Both worlds- the intensity of competition and the intimacy, love-filled moments of family photography have shaped me as an artist. They ask different things of me, and I love that balance.
Looking Ahead
As I step into the new year, my goals are (mostly!) clear.
In 2026, I hope to photograph more tournaments, including a couple on the international stage. I want to deepen relationships and continue refining how I show up in this space and deliver a high-end experience for both athletes and families.
Creatively, my focus is simple: keep improving, learning, and building meaningful connections.
Athletically, it’s time to keep building too. My own training in jiu jitsu definitely took more of a back seat this year- not only because of photography but because of postpartum recovery, multiple injuries and a season of rebuilding in other areas. (Though I did train all the way thru pregnancy and jumped back in around 4 weeks pp!) Not to mention juggling additional demands of motherhood- a beautiful but trying season of life.
This year taught me that sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones you don’t plan for. What begain as a small nudge and a quiet what if unfolded into something bigger than I had expected.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities, the people who supported me and the season of growth that followed. None of this would have happened if not for my husband who really helped protect my time and space to do this. I’m also very grateful for the support of my 10th Planet Happy Valley team and being able to have the space, time to refine my craft and share my art.
And to the fellow photographers I have met along the way, those who have become friends, shared knowledge, encouragement and space- thank you for helping create a space that feels welcoming and generous.
Here’s to continuing the work and stepping into the year ahead with more curiosity, hunger for growth and intention!
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