off the record
The Blog
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How to Choose the Right Brand Photographer for You
You can Google “brand photographer Chicago” and get a hundred results in four seconds. Plenty of talented people. Solid portfolios. Professional websites. Reasonable prices. Why does it…
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AI Is Only as Good as the Human Using It
AI shouldn’t be so easy that you stop thinking. It’s not magic. I didn’t type a question and walk away while something brilliant happened in my absence…
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How to Fact-Check a Photo Like a Photographer
AI is a tool. An incredibly useful one. It is my assistant for so much. Brainstorming, trouble-shooting, and overcoming writer’s block. Like any tool, it works best…
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Debí Tirar Más Fotos ~ And Other Things Travel Taught Me
During the Super Bowl halftime show last Sunday, Bad Bunny performed Debí Tirar Más Fotos — a song whose title translates roughly to “I should have taken more photos.”…
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Brand Photography Can Happen Anywhere ~ Here’s What That Actually Looks Like
Two weeks ago I was in Costa Rica. Not on vacation — though the palm trees and the hummingbirds and the tarantulas living quietly in the earth…
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A Year in Your Camera Roll: A Reflection Practice
Your phone camera roll holds more than photos. Learn a simple reflection practice using everyday phone images to uncover gratitude, clarity, and presence.
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What Happens If You Don’t Love Your Photos Right Away
There’s a very human moment that can happen when you first open your gallery. You scroll, pause, and suddenly see an image that feels unfamiliar. Your stomach…
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Giving Tuesday Reflection
A Moment That Has Stayed With Me Forever When I was a high school art teacher in Little Village, there was one morning when the bell rang…
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Finding Light: Gratitude when the world feels heavy
Gratitude isn’t about ignoring what’s hard. It’s about noticing the good anyway — and creating small moments of light and connection, even in a messy world.
