photo by Mak on 120mm film in Baja / 2021
HEY, there!
i’m hallie.
I love taking photos, among other things.
unruly weather, farmer’s markets, lingering light, not going the highway route, my orange tabby cat, cooking meals for friends, the vastness of Lake Michigan, beach bonfires and watching the moon rise — being a few others.
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My photography arises from a deep-set desire to document; and an impulse to record, assemble, and preserve impermanence. To remember, to recollect. I'm inspired by each individual story I've been invited to witness and capture – over 200 celebrations of love – and I strive to create heartfelt, genuine, relatable, and meaningful photographs.
Such a documentary approach requires you, as the subject, to let go of control and allow yourselves to be seen. It requires trust, but in turn, my hope is for you to be fully present at your celebration of choice, and present in yourselves as well. Forget about the photos, and me, entirely. Often, I disappear amidst a swarm of joyful camaraderie and can simply, invisibly, witness each moment as it happens. I always prioritize people (moments) over aesthetics (your table decor) and I promise to fabricate nothing.
Weddings are not celebrated for the sake of photography, people do not love each other to get pretty portraits. We do not nurture and hustle and sacrifice just to post nice photos on the internet. Your relationship is so much deeper than this. I strive to find threads of truth in each person I photograph; to let their honest selfhood breathe.