When I first moved to Moscow from Columbus, Ohio, I didn't come here to start a career. I came here for my son. I wanted him to have a childhood filled with nature and quiet, the polar opposite of the million person hustle I grew up in. I am an introvert by nature, so my big plan for connecting was starting a Buy Nothing group for local moms. I figured small interactions were all I could handle. I was looking for my people, but I hadn't found them yet.
Everything changed a few days after Easter 2025. I was making a haku lei with my son’s aunty when she stopped and told me I had a good eye. She asked if I’d ever thought about starting a business with my photography. I said no, but the seed was planted. A few days later, I took a leap and posted on Bored in Moscow & Pullman offering free shoots just to see what would happen. I got 30 inquiries and my first paid wedding. I was terrified.
My first shoot was 45 minutes of wandering Main Street with Emily, just stopping randomly to pose. I was shooting on a Nikon Coolpix B500, a camera where I couldn't even adjust the settings. I had no idea what I was doing, but Emily was a dream and somehow the photos worked. That Nikon lasted a month before I found a Canon T7 on Marketplace. That was the turning point. From May to August 2025, I obsessed over the basics. I stopped trying to be perfect and started leaning into the moody, cinematic vibe that actually felt like me.
My first few sessions with the Nikon & T7
I quickly realized that having a camera in my hand changed everything. It became my bridge to people and suddenly I wasn't the quiet girl in the background anymore. Photography gave me a reason to be extroverted, to ask questions, and to really see the people in this town. By the time I upgraded to my 5D that fall, I had ditched stiff posing for real prompts and raw storytelling.
Falling in love with that cinematic, film still aesthetic changed the game for me and my clients. I ended up fully booked for months straight, capturing the exact creative vibe I had been looking for. I even started my branding team, a group of wonderful ladies who I now consider some of my closest friends. After starting that rep program, things really took off. I have now been published 8 times in magazines like Vigour, Dreamy Mag, and Lens & Luxe. I even had my work featured in a magazine back home in Columbus, which felt like such a full circle moment for the girl who started this all at 14 years old.
My most recent session with Ella
2026 has been such a dream so far. It has been nothing but good energy and creative growth, and I have finally fallen full force into my craft. Officially moving away from anything traditional and leaning into work that feels intentional, raw, and nostalgic.
Looking back, I can honestly say this has been the most life changing year of my life. I moved to Moscow to give my son a better world, and in the process, I ended up finding my own place in it too. I am still so blown away by the amount of support and love I’ve felt since starting Vesper Visions Co.
Thank you for showing up for me, Moscow. This is really just the beginning.