Every year, I sit down to do one of my favorite (and hardest!) traditions: picking my top 10 images from all my client work. Narrowing it down to just 10 is no easy task—you’ve all kept me so inspired this year! These images aren’t necessarily the 10 “best” in terms of technique or lighting (though some of them definitely qualify). Instead, they’re the ones that tugged at my heartstrings, made me smile, or stuck in my mind long after the session was over.
Sometimes it’s the look of pure joy on a child’s face. Sometimes it’s a connection between siblings, a fleeting moment of grace in a dancer’s movement, or the way golden-hour light wrapped around someone in a way that felt like magic. And yes, sometimes it’s just because the colors were chef’s kiss perfect or I managed to capture a fairy tale come to life in the way I imagined.
This list is personal to me. It’s not about perfection but the emotions behind each image—the stories, the personalities, and the unforgettable moments. I’ll share more about why each one made the cut in the captions. Here are my top 10 favorite client images of the year, camera gear and lens info included, in the order they were taken. Let’s celebrate the magic we created!
This photo is my niece, Liddie. I needed to do a lens video for SIGMA so I absolutely HAD to include her! These are her one-year photos. I totally love using a parent’s bed for baby portraits. It’s contained but still fun and cute. I love this image because it’s soft and bright and also my niece. She’s such a joy. Sony a7rv and SIGMA 70-200mm, Nanlite Forza 60C bounced off ceiling. Can you believe this was taken in the middle of a busy hallway during a demo I was giving at a photography convention? It totally was! Imaging USA is the biggest photo convention in the states and I try to make it there every year. On the left-hand side is a row of windows that I needed to overpower with flash and so on the right hand side is a big giant flash being held by the assistant that I had that day. People walking left and right and behind the dancer, but she did a fantastic job of not letting the audience get to her. I love this image because of its theatrical feel. The red dress on the red carpet really just pops against the fade-to-black background. Sony a7rv and SIGMA 70-200mm, Westcott FJ400 strobe with 30in softbox to right.Ahhhh the color! You all know I can’t get over some poppy color and this photo is certainly that. I got picked to do a world-first look at a new lens with image going back to our big corporate office in Japan. They had some very specific guidance for what they wanted to see and one of the requests was images at night with lights in the background. So I went the 2hr drive down to Atlanta because you can’t really do better than a ferris wheel with a jumping dancer and fountain. Fantastic! The security guard came and threw us out right after this but I think he was deliberately kind to us waiting until after I got this photo. I love this image because of it’s poppy colors plus she looks totally effortless here and it was the first time I got picked by Japan to help with a release. Sony a7rv and SIGMA 50mm 1.2. Nanlite 4ft Pavotube to left lighting dancer.I was absolutely determined to learn how to do this look this year and I’d say it worked. I borrowed one of my favorite ballerinas for this in my studio, turned the lights on to blue and purple, and went for it. This girl has been with me since nearly the beginning of my career. I first met her at two years old and she just turned 19 this year! I love the neon look to this but also that perfect arch of fabric right over her! Sony a7rv with SIGMA 24-70mm, two 8ft Nanlite Pavotubes left and right. Is it possible to love the sun? Maybe I love those cherry blossoms more. Maybe it’s this absolutely gorgeous mint green maternity gown? No no, I think I love this mama to be the most because they looks so stunningly confident. She ATE in that dress and she OWNED these pictures. Perfect spring morning. Sony a7rv with the SIGMA 85mm 1.4, no additional lighting. I got to work with several really skilled (and talented, but these girls work hard so they are skilled before talented!) ballerinas this year but I ended up with one particular dance model three times over two different conventions! Meet Becca. This was for a class I ran at Shutterfest and she is perfect for this because she knows how to pose for photographer who aren’t used to doing a lot of dance photos. I love the light pastel feel to this image. Not my usual but it works here! Sony a7rv with the SIGMA 24-70mm, Nanlite Forza 120 to left. I don’t often get to do what I want to do in terms of images when I’m at conventions. Usually I’m helping students or other photographers and I don’t take more than a few clicks of the camera. This is one I did for me. Downtown Detroit at ClickCon, I wanted a high-school senior look and this girl did NOT disappoint. I love her eyes and purple hair and the stunning 1.2 bokeh here. This photo ended up being feature on a Times Square billboard thanks to this model’s mother! So cool! Sony a7rv with SIGMA 50mm 1.2, no additional lighting. Ahhh toddlers! This is my adorable nephew, Ellis. It’s been a fantastic year getting to see my sister in Seattle so much. I wanted to get a real photo session for him this time since when I’m there it’s normally just a few here and there on my phone. He’s deep into the toddler running stage so this was really quite hard, but I did get several I love. Love the bokeh here and his sweet face with his bright blue eyes. Sony a7rv with the SIGMA 50mm 1.2, no additional lighting. I was so honored this year to get to teach lots of different places, but the best part is really getting invited back to the same place year after year. This is year three going back to Hunt’s Camera in Boston and I love it more every time. This year we ran a few long-form dance photography classes and this was my favorite image of the ones I got this time. I adore the white-on-white look here and her perfect grace just makes this a winner. Sony a7rv with the SIGMA 28-105mm, Nanlite Forza 300 with 30in softbox.I didn’t do many fairytale images this year (and it makes me sad), but this one really just made me sigh big time. Her perfect eyes and lovely face! I love ice fairies more every winter but this one is a standout gorgeous photo. Sony a7rv with the SIGMA 85mm 1.4, no additional lighting.
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