Ark Photography

06/03/2026

Calling all couples. ❤️

Summer is here, and it's the perfect time to document your story.

Whether you're newly dating, celebrating an anniversary, recently engaged, or simply wanting photographs of this season of life together, I'd love to create something meaningful for you.

Think summer evenings, favorite places, laughter, connection, and all the little moments that make your relationship uniquely yours.

Let's make some memories this summer.

Send me a message to book your session. ✨

06/02/2026

The last SOULSHINE Free Portrait Project for the SUMMER will be JUNE 29th. If you have been waiting to grab a spot, now is your chance!

05/27/2026

I am so excited to be returning to EmpowerFest 2026.

Last year was such an amazing experience filled with connection, encouragement, and meeting so many incredible women. I loved creating portraits that helped women feel seen, beautiful, confident, and empowered exactly as they are.

Watching women step in front of the camera, let their guard down, and truly shine was one of my favorite parts of the entire event. The energy and support at EmpowerFest stayed with me long after it ended, and I cannot wait to be back this year.

This year, I’ll once again be creating a portrait experience at EmpowerFest, but I would love your input.

What kind of portrait experience would you love to see this year?

Tell me what would make you feel beautiful, celebrated, and truly yourself in front of the camera. 💛

05/26/2026

Summer is here. Bare feet in the grass, golden evening light, sticky popsicle hands, lake days, porch swings, wildflower fields, and the beautiful chaos of family life unfolding exactly as it is.

These are the moments that become the photographs you treasure most years from now.

My summer family sessions are in full swing, and I would love to document your family in a way that feels natural, connected, and true to you. No pressure to be perfect. Just space to be together.

Whether it’s a slow evening at home, exploring your favorite outdoor spot, or simply letting your kids be kids, I’m here to tell the story of this season of your life.

Summer dates are booking now ☀️

05/22/2026

This is so fun!!! If you have a little artist in your life, please sign up! Easton had such a blast selling his art 🖼️ last year. Everyone was so kind and really boosted his confidence as a little artist. He’s still inspired by that day and has been waiting to do it again!

PLEASE SHARE!!

Have a young one who is interested in selling their artwork at this year’s arts festival? Send me an email to sign up!

05/19/2026

If you missed Elisa’s story last week, I hope you take a moment to go back and read it.

My favorite part of this project has been being in the presence of these musicians while they play. Photographing them as the music fills the room, watching the way they move with their instrument, and witnessing the connection they have to something they’ve spent years devoted to.

I’ve truly loved meeting these incredible humans through the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra and getting the chance to photograph them in a way that feels honest to who they are.

It also reminds me how much I love this city. Wheeling is filled with artists, musicians, makers, and creative people creating beautiful things and sharing them with the community around them. I feel really lucky to document even a small piece of that.

05/18/2026

I asked Wheeling Symphony violinist Anne Moskal what feeling she would want to convey if her musicianship could be captured in a single portrait with her instrument.

Her answer was simple.

“Peaceful.”

And somehow, that one word said everything.

Not performative. Not loud. Just fully present inside the music itself. The kind of presence that reminds you music doesn’t always have to command a room to move it.

How lucky we are to experience artists like Anne within the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. ✨

05/15/2026

What does it look like to dedicate your life to sharing beauty with the world?

For Elisa Kohanski, it looks like carrying a cello across all 7 continents and using music to connect with humanity everywhere she goes.

Yes — all 7 continents.

As a cellist with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Elisa has performed around the world, connected with children through music, and brought her instrument into places most of us could only dream of experiencing. Yet somehow, beyond all the accomplishments, what stands out most is her spirit.

I asked her:

“If you could capture the essence of yourself as a musician in a single portrait with your instrument, what mood, feeling, or narrative would you wish to convey?”

Her answer stopped me.

“That music is a vulnerable gift and sharing it is my greatest privilege and joy in life.”

I felt deeply connected to her words because I truly believe our talents are meant to be shared. And when we stay vulnerable enough to follow the opportunities our gifts open for us, we begin to experience the true beauty and depth of this world.

You can feel that the moment you stand near her. The humility. The openness. The understanding that music is not meant to be kept, but given away.

What an unimaginable inspiration she is.

Elisa Kohanski. ✨

05/14/2026

This summer, I’m looking for 3 artists, makers, or creatives to document deeply and intentionally. One in June. One in July. One in August.

Not just portraits. Not just “content.”

I want to spend time with you in your element. To witness the way your hands move through your craft. The spaces you create in. The rituals, the process, the mess, the meaning. Your story.

I’m only taking on 3 because I want the space to truly be present with each person and create something honest and personal together.

Painters. Potters. Musicians. Fiber artists. Woodworkers. Floral artists. Dancers. Bakers. Writers. Dreamers. I want to hear from you.

If this speaks to you, send me a message and tell me a little about what you create and why you create it.

And please tag an artist, maker, or creative whose story and creative process inspires others. I truly believe artists help us see the world differently through what they create.

05/12/2026

I asked Jacob Gutierrez what sparked his love for timpani and his answer completely changed the way I see the instrument.

Not just rhythm. Not just percussion.

He described the timpanist as a “second conductor,” shaping pulse, phrasing, tension, and release from within the orchestra itself. Constantly listening. Constantly adjusting. Carrying both rhythm and harmony at once.

What stayed with me most was when he said he sees timpani not simply as an instrument he plays, but as something that pushes him to become a more complete musician—rhythmically, harmonically, and musically.

And the dedication behind that is real. He flies in from Texas just to rehearse and perform with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.

How lucky we are to have musicians like him pouring this level of artistry, discipline, and passion into our symphony.

Jacob Gutierrez. ✨