The Lighthouse is You

You’re the beacon. You’re the source. Each person is filled with a thousand suns. I chose the name The Lighthouse to describe people. Almost every other photographer uses their own name. Bob Smith Photography. Sara Jones Photography. And that’s fine. But I realized early on that the photography I do is not wholly my own. It belongs to you.

The photograph itself, the end result, the portrait, is a byproduct of a conversation. I think my portraits stand out because of this intention. My goal is not to capture, but to reflect. And I can only reflect what’s happening in that moment. If we’re engaged, the photograph will be engaging.

I use only natural light, and available backgrounds, not because I’m lazy but because this approach yields compelling results. If you are the lighthouse, I just need to put myself in the position of receiving that light.

I’m not a painter, and I have no training as an artist, but it’s my goal to create a painterly portrait, a portrait that is riveting and timeless. I want the picture to feel almost sculpted. I want it to feel three dimensional and just on the border of surreal. But most of all I want the viewer to want to know the person in the picture. I want them to be drawn to the lighthouse. I want them to see themselves.