West Des Moines, Iowa
Authentic family portraits
Every photo tells a story. Remember yours.
Hi, I'm Mackenzie.
It felt like I blinked and our oldest was in college. It made me realize how precious family photographs and portraits really are.
As a former journalist, I understand the heartbeat of a story. As we collaborate, I'll ask for yours. That's my approach: I want to get to know you and your family! Let's take the pressure of family photos off and have a little fun with our time together.
I spent the first half of my career writing about schools — which gave me a lot of experience helping children and parents feel comfortable in front of a camera! Now I'm the one making images, and I love it.
What's your approach to photography?
I take a photojournalistic approach — I'm seeking authentic moments and natural emotion. That's why I love photographing families. When I help everyone feel comfortable and relax into the moment, the best photographs present themselves.
We'll start with posing guidance, a few formal family photographs for the Christmas Cards, and then move into prompted lifestyle photographs with activities and lots of laughter, no matter the age! I love when parents tell me their children can't wait to do a photo shoot again. Who knew family pictures could be this fun!
What clients say
"I loved all of Mackenzie's photos. I was nervous about how the session would go with our toddler, but Mackenzie knew what to do and captured our family perfectly."
"We were thrilled by how easy it was and how comfortable Mackenzie made our family feel. When a child says, ‘I like her. She is really nice,’ it means she connected, and that’s important. Mackenzie has a gift for engaging with people and making them feel special. "
"I’ve already hired Mackenzie for another photography project, and we’re booking her soon for more family photos because our children asked when they could do it again!"
