Liz Dotson Photography

I used to show up to sessions with a mental checklist.

The poses I wanted to hit. The setups I had in my head. The shot list I was working through.

And somewhere along the way, I had to put it down.

Not because those ideas were bad. But because every time I was focused on getting to the next thing on the list, I was missing what was actually happening right in front of me.

The candid moment between siblings. The way a dad looked at his kid when he thought no one was watching. The totally unplanned thing that happened when I stopped directing and just waited.

You can't plan for those. You can only be present enough to catch them.

Letting go of the checklist made me a better photographer. I don't think I could have learned that from a workshop or a tutorial. It just took showing up enough times and learning to trust what happens when you stop trying to control it.

Black and white or color. Which do you prefer ?

Senior photos feel extra special when they are for your daughter. Couldn’t be more proud of her

Senior photos feel extra special when they are for your daughter. I couldn’t be more proud of her!!
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Working with me means photos that capture your kids’ true personalities, not just how they look, but who they are.

A day on the beach in Oregon Don’t plan on staying dry