it was only a few years ago that i first came out as a lesbian.

like a lot of queer people, that experience came with both grief and freedom at the same time. losing certain relationships hurt deeply, but the love, community, and sense of self i found afterward changed my life completely. for the first time, i felt like I could exist honestly — not as a version of myself shaped around comfortability for others, but as the person i had always quietly hoped i could become.

i remember the overwhelming feeling of holding my girlfriend’s hand in public for the first time. the excitement, the fear, the adrenaline, the joy. feeling completely seen while simultaneously feeling exposed to the world around us. every moments felt both euphoric and devastating simultaneously as i was the happiest version of myself i've ever been, while also getting slurs yelled at us left and right. existing openly in queer love can sometimes feel like experiencing every emotion at full volume all at once.

around that same time, i changed the language around summer fed photography from simply “wedding photographer” to “queer wedding photographer.” people told me constantly that i was ruining my business by being honest about who i was. that no one would want to book me anymore. that i was limiting myself by making queerness visible within my brand.
but then opposite happened.

the more honest i became, the more aligned my work became, too.

queerness is not just identity — it’s culture, community, creativity, resistance, tenderness, chosen family, self-expression, and the freedom to exist outside of expectation. it shaped the spaces i felt safe in. it shaped the people i connected with. it shaped the way I approach storytelling, intimacy, and documentation.

before coming out, creativity often felt like escape. photography became the one place i didn’t have to shrink myself down in order to belong. it gave me space to imagine a life where i could exist fully as myself, long before i knew how to actually live that life openly.

now, summer fed photography has become an extension of that feeling.

not just a photography business, but a space rooted in trust, celebration, emotional honesty, and visibility for people who may not have always seen themselves represented traditionally within the wedding industry.

as a queer wedding photographer, my highest priority has always been creating an experience where couples feel genuinely safe, understood, and celebrated exactly as they are. not tolerated, not marketed to just during pride and forgotten about afterward.. truly seen.

queer love deserves to be documented with care. loudly, softly, cinematically, tenderly, authentically.

some of the most beautiful parts of my career have come from witnessing queer couples build celebrations entirely on their own terms. letting go of rigid traditions that never felt aligned with them in the first place. creating weddings centered around community, intimacy, chosen family, artistry, emotion, and freedom.

there’s something incredibly moving about documenting people who fought hard just to exist openly in love.

queerness changed my career because it changed me first. it taught me how to live more honestly, create more intentionally, and build a business rooted not just in aesthetics, but in genuine connection and care for the people stepping in front of my camera.