Curious if I’m the photographer for you?

AT COURTNEY STANNARD PHOTOGRAPHY
THIS IS THE SHIT THAT REALLY MATTERS:

02 . Comfort

Simply being human.

I never realized it growing up, but my mom once told me that I never had a "type" when it came to people. She said, "You see beauty in everyone, and you take people as they are. You love their flaws and accept their faults all while finding the things that make them beautiful inside and out." Immediately I thought, shit, she’s right. It’s the best compliment I’ve ever received.

That same outlook is what drives me as a photographer. I want to know you. I want to love all the pieces of you. I want you to be the most comfortable you’ve ever been around a stranger. So many people are afraid to close their eyes during a session. They are afraid of double chins, sweating, weird kisses... all of the things we’ve been told to worry about but that make us so fucking human.

I WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BE HUMAN WITH ME.

01 . Authenticity

Your truest self is your masterpiece.

There is a very real feeling of nakedness stepping in front of a camera. I know this, because as a fine art photography major, I did it over and over again myself. Whether you live in the art world or outside of it, that willingness to be authentic, to uncover the tender parts of yourself and your story is the most beautiful thing you can do. It’s how true connection is formed. And when I work with my clients, it’s the greatest honor to reflect back all that beauty for you to see. I want you to finally see what your partner sees when you smile freely, how you laugh— 

When you get a photo back and you can truly say: This is me, and shit, I look good.

03 . Nostalgia

A wistful affection or sentimental longing for the past

I think once you lose something, you realize just how important it is. And that’s why nostalgia is such a big part of what I do and who I am. It’s this achingly beautiful feeling because it means that even if you lost a moment or a person, you once had something worth missing. I want my photos to bring you back to those precious memories—whether it’s the day you receive them or decades from now when you’re digging them out of an old, dusty box.

When my brother died, photography became such a deeply personal thing for me. It became a portal to the past, to moments and previous selves that we won’t ever get back.

It’s why I focus on the storytelling of photography, on noticing the little details that you don’t think about now, but you’ll miss later. People call me the “queen of close-ups” because I’m always looking for those little details. I did a series when I was younger of my brothers’ hands, and we still have those photos of Emmit’s hands, pudgy and dimpled. Now that we’re no longer able to hold them, we realize how amazing it is to have those photos and be reminded exactly how they felt. That’s why I focus on hands, faces, expressions—because you never know when you’ll lose them. 

I WANT YOU TO FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BE HUMAN WITH ME.

04 . Storytelling

Noticing & seeing stories in all the little things

I’ll ask about a tattoo, a piece of jewelry, or a scar—and that often unlocks a whole new layer of meaning. Maybe it’s a necklace a bride’s grandma gave her before she passed, or a tattoo two people got to mark how they met. When I notice those details, I make sure to capture them, knowing how much they’ll mean in the future.

I’ve always been drawn to the raw, real parts of life. My own art has been shaped by my personal experiences—grieving the loss of my brother, navigating the dark as well as the light, and finding ways to express those stories visually. There’s a certain magic to capturing the essence of someone’s story in a single photo or gallery. That’s the lens I bring to every session—

uncovering the stories hidden in plain sight.

what's the difference between hiring me and another photographer?

I actually give a shit!!

I care about you, I care about your life and who you are. I don't want to make false photos about what you, your life and your love look like. I want to emphasize the RAW, the REAL, and the AUTHENTIC. And I promise to give you that side of me as well.