Hey!

I’m Crystal, the face behind the camera

here you can read some things about me, learn a little about why I became a photographer & see my answers to life’s burning questions.

Get to know me.

At my core, I am a documentarian.

Whether I’m holding a camera or a pen, I’m always chasing the feeling of preserving something real.

When I’m not photographing life as it unfolds, I’m writing about it. Either through my personal blog or tucked into the pages of my daily journal, a practice I’ve kept faithfully since December of 2018.

I cherish memories. Not the perfect kind, but the raw, fleeting kind. The ones you wish you could bottle up and revisit forever. That is what drives my work: a deep love for storytelling and for keeping the light on in moments that might otherwise disappear.

When I’m not documenting, which is rare, I’m making memories of my own as a mother of three wildly unique and beautiful souls. Motherhood is my grounding force, my greatest teacher, and a constant reminder of how quickly life moves.

In the margins of my time, I let my creative brain run wild. I’m endlessly curious about energy work, personal growth, and the unseen threads that connect us. I believe we are always evolving, that healing is not linear, and that connection rooted in love is what makes everything worthwhile.

I try to keep my feet planted in what matters and let the little stuff roll off. I have learned that presence is more powerful than perfection.

I am a firm believer in the power of a good hype team. The kind of people who celebrate your wins, sit with you in your lows, and remind you who you are when you forget. That is the kind of community I want to build and the kind of energy I bring to every session.

If that sounds like your vibe, I would love to welcome you into my tribe.
x - Crystal





Random Questions - just for fun!

  • Abundance. I feel like that covers a broad area, haha. (Is that cheating?)

  • Maya Angelou. Because I do not know how many times I’ve seen a quote from her & resonated in a much different way. Phenomenal woman.

  • Whatever that thing is called to make sparks for a fire, seeds, & another human so I’m not lonely. I know people aren’t things…. but this is also all hypothetical, so it’s okay.

  • Either Tony Robbins or Gabrielle Bernstein. The homeboy & the homegirl, if you will.

  • Learn all the things they didn’t teach you in school sooner. Like budgeting, credit, taxes, re-parenting, etc.

Photography
FAQ’s

  • I’m located in Durant, Iowa. (Which is a small town between the Quad Cities & Iowa City)

  • I started photographing & editing as a teen, but I started my business in 2010, photographed my first event in 2011, quit my full-time job in 2012 & have been working as a photographer since. I have photographed approximately 300 weddings & 3x as many sessions.

  • I really like to photograph as authentically as I can. I tend to create a lot of prompts for my clients to do to capture then in a more candid & relaxed state. I’m very much a person who photographs off vibes, etc. so I spend a lot of time trusting my skills & instincts vs. having a concrete plan outside of an itinerary.

    My editing is a little more moody but I also try my best to create a look that will withstand the test of time, avoiding being too stylized or trendy as I’ve found this does not hold up over time.

  • At my core, I’m an artist. I was the “art geek” in school, always had a sketchbook in hand & I love creating. In my spare time, I still paint - primarily clay pots, if I’m being honest, but it’s always been within my nature to create art. Photography was something that fell in to my lap & I discovered that, through editing, you can create so much more than what your camera captures & this became something I really enjoyed - the bonus is that photography also brought me out of my shell as a person through meeting people from all walks of life. Being a photographer is a true blessing in my life.