Families reach out to me for many reasons. It's not a secret that I'm not a cheap photographer. So why do families choose me over somebody else?

Sometimes it's reassurance (with my 100% Satisfaction Guarantee). Sometimes it's the fact that they've seen various examples of my work and know I can deliver a high standard of work. And sometimes it's because I retouch each photograph in a way that looks natural and beautiful in the end.

In this case, Elodie's parents came to me with a huge concern. Elodie has a genetic skin condition (Epidermolysis Bullosa) that she lives with every day. Some days are better than others. And because it's so unpredictable (not to mention a huge amount of work for Mom and Dad on a daily basis), they haven't gotten any family photos done since she was born.

They knew my work since they've been seeing it on display at Ada's Kitchen + Coffee in Riverside (which is less than a mile away from my Studio, btw). And we talked about Elodie's skin and how much retouching was appropriate. Mom sent me photos of what Elodie looks like on her good days. And my approach is to present the best version of the person being photographed. That means that birth marks and permanent scars stay, while under eye circles, scratches, bruises, and acne get retouched.

With a skin condition like Elodie's, her sores aren't permanently placed.. and in photographs, they distract from her beautiful face and features - so they get retouches. Her bandages and dry skin are part of her everyday life - they stay. In the end, the retouching is no more involved than what I do for newborns.. because when you look at your baby, you don't see the skin blemishes or scratched. That's not what you remember. You see their face. Their smile. Their personality. And the whole point of a photograph is to capture that.

If you would like to contribute to help children like Elodie, you can donate to the EB Research Partnership by clicking the button below.