One Asheville Photographer’s Bucket List Trip to Iceland and the Heart Behind the Work

The best travel experiences stay with you long after you return home— quietly shaping the way that you see the world, and in turn, the way that you create. International travel has a unique way of doing that—immersing yourself in a place, in it’s culture, history, food, and music shifts your perspective, not only on the world itself, but on your place within it. This blog post is a bit more personal, it’s about one Asheville Photographer’s Trip to Iceland — it’s a rare glimpse into my life beyond the studio, and the heart behind the work that I create for families here in Asheville!

Before this trip ever became a reality, it lived quietly in the in-between moments of everyday life. When Chris and I first met, we spent the better part of a year building our relationship long distance—connected not by proximity, but by hours-long conversations each night after we had both tucked our children into bed. Those late-night calls became our rhythm, a space where we truly got to know one another. We talked about everything—life, family, the future—and often, the places we dreamed of seeing together. Iceland was always at the top of that list. It felt distant, almost unreal at the time… but somehow, in the way the best things do, it slowly became part of our story.

While travel has a way of expanding your perspective, it also has a way of bringing you home to what matters most. For me, that place is my studio here in Charleston—a beautiful, light-filled space where I get to create elevated, editorial-style maternity portraits, fine art newborn portraits, intimate motherhood portraits, baby milestone portraits, cake smash portraits, traditional heirloom portraits, and seasonal mini sessions for families who value meaningful, heirloom imagery.

This trip to Iceland gave me the rare opportunity to step outside of that work—to capture something entirely different, to create simply for the sake of creating. I photographed epic, otherworldly landscapes but I found myself perpetually drawn to soul of the horses in Iceland…

My work in the studio, by contrast, is rooted in an editorial, refined approach—blending soft light, thoughtful styling, and intentional direction to create artwork that feels both modern and enduring. This work, by contrast wasn’t curated — the weather was unpredictable, the light was ever changing and the resulting imagery was wild and untamed.

Returning home from Iceland, I found myself seeing everything a little differently.

Travel has a way of reminding you just how fleeting everything is—and how quickly even the most meaningful experiences become memories. And the trouble with memories — is that they fade. And in the end, all we have to hold onto are the photographs of that time, in that place, with those people…

And while Iceland captured something vast and awe-inspiring…

The work I create here captures something just as meaningful, in a quieter, more intimate way.

The anticipation of motherhood.
The softness of a newborn in your arms.
The way your child looks at you in this exact season of life.

These are the moments that pass the quickest—and the ones that we wish we could hold onto the longest.

That is why I do what I do.

We’re not simply just snapping photographs, we’re creatin something lasting. Something tangible. Something that will live on your walls, in your hands, and within your family for generations.

If you’re in a season worth remembering—and you feel drawn to preserve it in a way that is both artful and deeply meaningful—I would be honored to create that with you.

✨ View my portfolio: Asheville Family Photography
✨ Explore the investment: Investment Page
✨ Begin your experience: Booking Page