I live in Montana with my husband and our son and daughter. My favorite days are spent exploring the outdoors, cooking up a homemade meal for my family, or enjoying the sounds and smells of a summer thunderstorm.
During my studies at Rocky Mountain School of Photography, I found passion in telling love stories of all kinds. Stories of soul mates who are head-over-heels for each other, and families who love fiercely and loyally. I wholeheartedly believe that every story is worth documenting in a way that brings joy and meaning to the people who are living it.
My husband and I often look back at our wedding photographs, re-living all the pieces of our day that have begun to fade into blurry memory… the crisp air of an early Montana spring, my wildflower bouquet dancing in the breeze, the laughter in my grandma’s eyes. I get to have a hand in creating these keepsakes for my couples - and their loved ones - preserving a piece of their legacy.
This is why I do what I do.
work with stella
Lover of long summer evenings, shooting on film, and salted caramel chocolates.
"...stella is incredibly kind, soft-spoken, and attentive. not only did i have complete trust in her, i also genuinely enjoyed her presence."
- manon + philip
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I was named after my Grandma Stella, a woman full of grace, beauty, and warmth.
Her home, her soft hands, her laugh, her hugs... like summertime evening light that wraps everything in a golden haze. She filled any room she was in with comfort, light and warmth.
When she passed, I gathered with my family to go through her belongings. I found boxes and boxes of old photographs. Amongst them were memories of her motherhood, when she was healthy and vibrant, of her siblings, when they posed in front of an old sports car, and of her parents as newlyweds, when they oozed flirtatious giddiness as they stood next to each other in 1942.
These photos were a window into my grandma's everyday life, and they were extraordinary. I spent hours holding every photograph I found, re-living moments in the past that paved the path for me to live my own beautiful life, and carefully placing them into albums for my Grandpa and family to peruse and love.
Family and friends traveled from afar for her funeral. A few people began to look through through the stack of albums I had left in the living room. Slowly those few became a roomful. I watched in awe as heartache and sadness were replaced with joy, laughter, and healing as these photos were passed around in reminiscent storytelling.
Until this time in my life, I hadn't lost anyone I was close to, and until this moment, I didn't realize the true weight and importance my job as a photographer held. The photos I take of you aren't just for you, they are also for your children and and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to remember you by. They are an investment in keepsakes and heirlooms of your legacy, for your loved ones to cherish for years and years after you are gone.
invest in your legacy
your photos aren't just for you.
