Stacy Ideus Portrait

Give me tattoos, messy hair, and kind eyes.
That's where portraits become art instead of just pictures.

It was an honor to create Doug’s portrait for the cover of Real Producers magazine. After many years in the real estate industry, he’s built a remarkable legacy—but what struck me most was his genuine kindness.
Doug lost his wife, Linda, and it was especially meaningful to find a creative way to honor her within this portrait. Moments like these remind me that a photograph can be so much more than an image—it can tell a story, celebrate a life, and preserve a connection.

Killing it. We know this because Jill was on the cover of a magazine.

The story behind this day...
This was originally supposed to be a full family session with Erica, her husband, and their three kids.
Then Shoot Day happened.
One son woke up and chose violence... in the form of vomiting.
To make things even more interesting, the family was leaving for New York immediately after photos. Hair and makeup had already driven in from out of town and nobody really had the energy to reinvent the plan.
So Erica and Ruth decided to come anyway.
And honestly? It turned out to be one of those happy accidents that ends up being better than the original plan. Ruth got all the attention to herself, soaked up every minute of it, and absolutely glowed in front of the camera. She felt beautiful, celebrated, and completely seen.
Meanwhile, the family made it to New York, nobody missed their trip, and the full family session is now happening in August.
Not exactly how the day was supposed to go—but sometimes the best stories start with a kid throwing up.


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Stop overthinking it. Yes it's time to update your photos.
Now booking for August 2026. Link in profile

Violet and I are heading to Nashville for a little early summer girls getaway. Looking forward to staying at The Graduate, ice cream class, and a tour of downtown via monster truck. Yup.

I love the light pattern in this shot. And capturing Jeff's sleeve. It was an honor taking his portrait for a very special edition of

Classic portraits never go out of style.
The kind of images that feel just as meaningful decades from now as they do today. Portraits created to be PRINTED and lived with — not lost on a phone.

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We all end up in the soil eventually. So may you have such goodness that it enriches for centuries. (not sure where I heard this...)

Normalize random acts of kindness.
Buy her the photoshoot. No occasion. No milestone. No “we should really do this someday.”
Just a casual:
“Hey, I think you’re beautiful and deserve to exist in photos that aren’t blurry iPhone screenshots.”

Honestly, flowers die.
Photos last forever.
And nobody has ever cried happy tears over a grocery store candle.

If you could gift a photoshoot to ANYONE... well..... who would that be?