As a kid, I had big dreams. Not of becoming a photographer—but of owning my own daycare. I spent hours sketching my imaginary building, complete with twisty slides from the second story to the first, ball pits, climbing walls, and bright spaces filled with laughter. I dreamed of all the babies I’d get to hold, rock, and care for every day.
That dream pushed me to start my very first business—The Babysitter’s Club (yes, like the book series). I recruited a few of my closest friends, made homemade flyers, and we handed them out around the neighborhood. We were serious. And I absolutely loved it. I loved the responsibility, the kids, the challenge, and the independence. That early taste of entrepreneurship stuck with me.
As I got older, I kept finding ways to work with children. Right after college, I joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and was matched with a “little sister” who I mentored from elementary school until she graduated high school. We still talk to this day.
Later, I volunteered with Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a nonprofit that offers remembrance photography for families who have lost a baby. It was emotionally hard work, but I knew how meaningful those images would be for each family. I also served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children in the foster care system. I followed one child through the ups and downs of the system, making sure their voice was heard and their needs were seen. That experience changed me.
I didn’t end up running a daycare. But I like to think I got something even better.
As a newborn photographer, I still get to do all the things I dreamed about as a child—snuggle babies, care for them, and help their families feel supported. But I also get to do something extra special. I create art. I freeze time. I give families something to hold onto forever.
Even better? I get to build relationships that last. I see these little ones year after year. I photograph their siblings, their milestones, their families as they grow and change. I celebrate birthdays and baby bumps and everything in between.
My childhood dream may have shifted—but it grew into something even more meaningful than I could have imagined.
I’m so grateful for this work. It’s more than a job. It’s part of who I am.
If you had told little me with her daycare blueprints and babysitting flyers that one day she’d grow up to be an Indianapolis newborn photographer, she probably would’ve smiled and asked if she could still hold the babies. Thankfully, the answer is yes—and so much more. I get to do meaningful work with amazing families every single day. I’m thankful for every baby I get to snuggle and every moment I get to document. This job is a dream come true.
