HEY, I’M SHONDA
I PHOTOGRAPH HOW IT FEELS, SO YOU NEVER FORGET.
owner | photographer
Shonda
Rock n’ Roll heart, human & cat mom, nature seeker
I live in downtown Grayling, Michigan, in an old house with creaky floors and a whole lot of charm. My cat Jake runs the place (and honestly, he’s the best cat). I’m typically found in a worn out band tee, lost in a wall of sound, practicing yoga or curled up with a horror movie or something ridiculous on TV to balance it out.
I have spent my whole life in Northern Michigan. You’ll find the most amazing forests, lakes and rivers here. A truly magical place to be.
Thank you – Led Zeppelin
“My world it smiles.
Your hand in mine, we walk the miles. Thanks to you it will be done.
For you to me are the only one.”
My Inspiration
Everything I do is fueled by two things that have shaped me at my core: my amazing daughter Skylar and music.
The day Skylar was born, my world shifted. She became my compass. Inspiring me to grow, to be better, to live with intention. She reminds me why authenticity matters and why showing up fully is always worth it. That influence runs quietly through my work, whether you notice it or not.
Rock n’ roll has been the soundtrack to my entire life. It’s carried me through reinvention, heartbreak, healing, and the moments that changed everything. Music doesn’t ask permission, it tells the truth. It moves energy, cracks people open, and connects us in ways nothing else can. That raw honesty is what I’m drawn to, and it’s the same honesty I chase with my camera and in life.
I believe in the power of music, yoga, nature, and the universe. Things you can feel more than explain. Energy matters. Flow matters. When you stop forcing and let things unfold, that’s when the real magic happens. That’s where I work best: in the in-between moments, the unscripted ones, the ones that feel alive.
If music moves you, nature grounds you, and authenticity matters, we’ll get along just fine.
I want you to feel safe, seen, supported, and free to be yourselves
What Matters To Me
I believe the way something feels matters more than how it looks.
Photographs are important, but they’re not the point. What stays with you is the emotion: the steadiness of your partner’s hand, the way your breath slows, the quiet moments in between. That’s what I’m paying attention to.
I work best when things are unforced. When you’re present. When you’re not performing or rushing through a timeline, but actually in the moment.
It isn’t about perfection. It’s about meaning. And I treat it with the care it deserves.
I’ve Been Here Before
I’ve been married before. We eloped, just the two of us. And even though that chapter of my life has closed, I’ve never once regretted that choice.
I’m naturally shy and introverted, and the idea of a traditional wedding, the expectations, the spotlight, the endless details, brought on a level of anxiety and overwhelm that never felt right to me. The pressure to perform, to please, to follow a script… it all felt louder than the love itself.
Choosing to elope was a way of opting out of the noise and tuning into what actually mattered. Us. It was intentional, intimate, and grounded. It showed me that a wedding doesn’t have to look a certain way to be meaningful. It just has to feel honest.
If I choose to get married again, it won’t be about the industry or the production. It will be quiet, personal, and deeply real. Just me, my future soulmate, my daughter, and maybe a small circle of the people who truly matter. No rules. No expectations. No drama. Just unapologetic love.
If thinking about a big, traditional wedding makes your chest tighten a little, I get it. I’ve lived it. That’s why I create space for couples to do this their way, without pressure, without judgment, and without the noise.
Let’s Get To Know Each Other
I want you to feel safe, seen, supported, and free to be unapologetically YOU.