Artistic expressions of what makes you human

Life is chaotic, and amidst the chaos, it becomes easy to disconnect from what makes us human — who we are, where we come from, where we’re going, what we feel and think, how we love, our idea of beauty and meaning, our presence in and experience of the world.

In my mind, portraits are one of the most beautiful means of reconnecting with what makes us human because, for a moment, they allow us to bask in nothing but our humanness and continue to experience this connection for generations to come.

This is my mission as a portrait photographer — to help you celebrate your story and connect with your humanness over and over again.

To do so, I center my approach and style around the following principles:

  • Let’s get to know each other and be friends.

  • No two clients, sessions, or galleries are the same.

  • Collaboration, but your ideas first.

  • You won’t even know I’m taking your photo.

  • Your comfort is priority.

  • Recreating moments you want to relive forever.

  • Light + art + vibes.

  • You have control.

Ultimately, to achieve my mission, I want the portraits we create to be authentic & artistic expressions of you and your story. I strive to build genuine connections, recreate expressive and organic moments in a comfortable atmosphere, and follow the unique vibes of who you are in this moment against the backdrop of our world.

“I want pictures like these. The kind that can capture a moment, make it real, make it last. I need pictures that do more than reflect. I need pictures that are truth.”

— Lisa Magnum

01. The Inquiry

I’ll start the planning process by opening the floor to questions or concerns you’d like me to address, and by asking general questions around your vision and ideas. We’ll also choose a package, date, and time for the session according to your preferences.

02. The Plan

Once booked, I’ll send you my session guide, a questionnaire, and access to a styling assistance platform. The guide and questionnaire help us flesh out your vision and ideas in more detail. The guide also provides tips and info on what to expect, and the questionnaire helps me curate the perfect shoot experience for you.

03. The Collaboration

Once you’ve had a chance to peruse the guide and platform and fill out the questionnaire, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the session, such as choosing a location, styling, props, etc. This is our opportunity to get creative and bring your ideas from abstract to concrete.

04. The Session

During the session, my goal is to create a fun, relaxed, and easy-going atmosphere where your attention deviates from being photographed to what makes you human and what you’re trying to celebrate. To do so, I use a mix of poses and prompts while taking in the scene, your unique personalities, and the vision to candidly capture your authentic life and love.

05. After the Session

Within 2-3 days after the session, I’ll send a few sneak peeks via email. Then, within 1-3 weeks after the session, depending on the package you chose, you’ll receive your final, high-resolution photos in a beautiful, online gallery where you can view, download, and print your photos. You will receive unlimited images of the highest quality, professionally edited by me.

06. The Recurring Connection

Your photos will reflect your life and what makes you human in the moment. The poses, prompts, and edit of the photos will reflect the vibes of the session as a whole. Make sure you have these photos printed and hang them all over your walls because they will help you connect with what makes you human in this moment of your life over and over again for generations to come.

love notes

“The Small Narrative (Emily) is such an amazing photographer and I highly recommend her to anyone who needs family photos done! This was our first time getting a photographer for our own little family and Emily was professional from start to finish. She was extremely responsive and thorough in her responses when I was considering hiring her. She sends very helpful info even before the shoot (location directions, what to wear, what to expect, etc.) and during the shoot she made all of us feel at ease. She edited the photos exactly to my liking and we are so blown away she was able to capture such beautiful images even with our 13 month old being difficult for most of the shoot. Emily provided over 150 beautiful images for us to choose from and really took her time with us the day of the shoot. Exceptional value for the Lehigh Valley. I would hire her now while you still can!” -Alana C.