I love everything about design and I’ve focused my entire life on being creative, both in my artistic life and in my day jobs by employing creative thinking. I grew up learning about arts and crafts from my mother, and fell in love with making things. It was in high school that I discovered the world of thrifting and soon began refashioning used clothing and creating my own eclectic style. At Syracuse University I pursued a musical theater degree, building sets and sewing my own costumes. Working my way up from Secretary to Director of Public Relations over a 15-year period was largely because of creative thinking, which can set your work apart in almost every situation.
I’ve worked with architects and interior designers for most of my life professional life, and as a freelance photographer I consider "designing" a photo as yet another form of creation. Composition enhanced by staging can make for powerful photos. I also truly enjoy sourcing decor items and building a scene around a really unique item.
Having worked alongside interior designers for well over a decade, I can attest that there's a ton of research and thought that goes into designing a space that will draw the viewer in. All of these vignettes were created by Board + Vellum, the integrated design firm I was part of for nearly six years before going freelance, where I honed my photography skills contributing to the firm’s portfolio.
These last two images were taken of a model unit in a multifamily apartment building which was fully designed and decorated to serve as an example to potential renters to help them see themselves living in the space. In fact, it was so well done (by my talented coworkers) that when I opened the door to the unit, I thought maybe I'd entered the wrong one because it felt like I was intruding on someone's private space! When you see good design, you may not be able to describe what makes it good, but you’ll definitely feel it.
