ask me how old i was before i realized that not everyone’s grandfather could take care of your eyes and also have the latest and greatest in camera equipment.

Or that not all children had to wait on Christmas morning for their father to assemble his SLR and flashes before a single Christmas gift could be opened.

I come from a family of photographers. My grandfather served my hometown of Carlinville, IL as an optometrist for many years while also being a more-than-amateur photographer. His portraits of my dad and uncle can rival any portraits taken today. As a child, I remember my dad being gone on weekends photographing weddings. We had a darkroom in our basement and we knew to never open the door when he was in there. Thankfully, I don’t think my siblings and I were ever responsible for any ruined rolls of film.

““Of all the means of expression, photography is the only one that fixes a precise moment in time.””
— Henri Cartier-Bresson
 
H G Zilm portrait middle age.jpg
 

and now, about me as a photographer.

I love simple portraits that mimic film. I love natural expressions that showcase the person you are and the person you’re becoming, because we’re all constantly changing. I think that just because we can do so much with Photoshop, doesn’t mean we should. I think getting it right in camera and learning about light and how to best use it, is the key to a successful portrait.

I’m also extremely passionate about preserving memories for forthcoming generations. This is why I offer print products through my studio and always encourage my clients to print their photos. Your future grandchildren and great-grandchildren will love looking through photographs of you much more than seeing them on a screen.

I’m actually a terrible saleswoman and that’s why I only offer products in my studio that I know will remain classic and stand up to the test of time, the types of pieces that sell themselves.

now about me as a person.

  1. FAVORITE MUSICIAN: John Mayer. Now and forevermore.

  2. FAVORITE SPORTSBALL TEAM: Manchester United

  3. FAVORITE ICE CREAM: Butter Pecan

  4. STARBUCKS ORDER: Venti Dirty Iced Chai with almond milk

  5. CATS OR DOGS?: Yes. (But we have cats.)

  6. FAVORITE SEASON: Fall

  7. FAVORITE BOOK: Jane Eyre

  8. COLLEGE DEGREE?: Yep. B.S. in Sociology from SIUE.

  9. EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL?: Somehow both and neither.

  10. FAVORITE COLOR: TARDIS Blue