09/04/2026
I don’t usually comment on whatever the current hot-ticket issue is, but this one affects my clients and my work pretty directly, so I’ve got some words.
There’s been a lot of conversation around the recent federal ruling involving AI-generated child sexual abuse material. As someone whose work centers around birth, babies, children, and families, I’ve obviously been thinking about what that means for the way I share my work.
AI is everywhere. It’s in our phones, social media, cameras around our cities, and so much of the technology we use every day. For me, the answer isn’t to stop sharing faces. Connection and documentation are a huge part of why I do this work.
But consent matters.
Every family I photograph receives a questionnaire asking if anything can be shared and, if so, how I can use it. That might mean not at all, faceless images only, no nudity, website only, in-person use only, or full permission. There are plenty of ways I can use photographs to support my business without making my clients uncomfortable.
Many of the images you see where I have full creative freedom, though certainly not all, come from specialty sessions I offer at a lower cost in exchange for more creative freedom and permission to share the work.
And really, AI didn’t create the need for thoughtful consent. Photographers have always had a responsibility to think carefully about what we share.
Did this ruling make me pause? Absolutely. I honestly chew on any inkling to disappear from socials, and I never want a client to feel uncomfortable with where or how their images are being used. But I also need to put my work into the world. Sharing photographs is how people find me, understand what I do, and decide whether I’m the person they want documenting some of the most important moments of their lives.
So I’m going to keep asking permission, giving everyone choices, and respecting those choices. I’m still going to share faces, birth, childhood, families, and all the beautiful human connection that makes me want to pick up a camera in the first place.
But please know if you work with me, you have choices and I’ll always photograph you with respect and dignity.
