Friends toasting with dark beers in a sunlit cafe window.

An ode to those special clients


When I look back at the career that I’ve had as a photographer, some special clients really encouraged me at various points in my life. In high school, some of my closest friends and their families took a chance on me and had me take photos for them. 



My best friend, Abigail, has always been one of those people. Nearly 15 years ago, we ventured to a nearby state park for my first-ever grad photo session. Five years later, she was engaged and I had my first-ever engagement session with Abigail and her husband Chris.

Close-up of hands holding drinks on wooden table with beer coasters.
A couple shares drinks and conversation at a cozy bar with exposed brick walls and warm lighting.
Two people enjoy craft beers while sitting against a rustic brick wall with brewery signage.

They’re approaching their 10th anniversary, and we decided to do another round of photos together. They live in Appleton and they are big fans of McFleshman’s Brewing. We headed there on a sunny winter afternoon, however, upon arrival, we discovered that their winter hours had recently gone into effect and they were, in fact, closed. We headed around the corner instead to Appleton Beer Factory and pretty much had the place to ourselves as we did a quick mini-session before things got busy.

A couple shares a relaxed moment on a leather couch in an industrial-style brewery.

Personalize your session


Both of them are really into reading (give Abby a follow on Instagram; Chris is an award-winning English teacher in the Appleton area) and wanted to have an authentic experience. I really let them lead the day so that they could feel comfortable and walk away with authentic photos to showcase their relationship.

Two people share drinks and laughter by a brick wall in a brewery taproom.
A couple shares a candid laughing moment while sitting on a leather couch by a window.