08/19/2026
For as long as I can remember, my love for dogs and my love for photography have gone hand in hand.
There are home videos of me as a toddler, chasing a dog across an island beach, and even now, decades later, my soul lights up every time I rewatch it. Something in that footage, the pure unfiltered joy of a child and a dog and the open sand between them, has never left me. It is, in many ways, where all of this began.
So when a sweet reel landed in my inbox this morning from Bella Ottone - the sister who tagged along to help wrangle the pup at her sibling’s engagement session, I felt that same spark all over again. A golden retriever, weaving between two people who are clearly in love, chasing joy the way only a dog can. It is the same joy I chased on that beach as a little girl, and I do not think I will ever tire of photographing it.
This is the part of the work people rarely talk about. It is not only the couple in front of my camera. It is the whole circle that shows up around them, the sister with treats in her pocket, the dog who has no idea this is a milestone and simply knows these are his people. These are the moments that end up meaning the most once the album is finally in hand.
To this couple, thank you for letting me photograph the beginning of your story, golden retriever included. I already cannot wait for 2027.
Newport and coastal New England wedding and engagement photographer.