More Than a Headshot: Capturing the Heart of the Brandywine Y

There’s this moment I see every time I take headshots.

Someone steps in front of my camera, nervous, unsure, already convinced they won’t like the final image. They tell me, “I don’t know how to pose,” or “I’m not photogenic.” And in that moment, I already know what’s about to happen.

I take the first few shots. They’re stiff. They’re thinking too much. But then—after some small adjustments, a bit of conversation, a little reassurance—they start to relax. They start to see themselves the way the world sees them. And then comes the best part:

“Wait… I actually like this.”

That shift is why I do what I do.

Every moment deserves a better picture. And every great picture tells a better story.

At the Brandywine Y, I wasn’t just taking headshots—I was capturing the people who make that place feel like home. The ones who greet you at the door, the ones who teach your kids how to swim, the ones who make sure the whole place runs smoothly. These aren’t just employees; they’re the heartbeat of the Y. And when they see themselves in a way that makes them proud, that’s when a simple headshot becomes something bigger.

That’s when a photo stops being just a picture and starts becoming a story worth telling.