Looking back, I could have guessed that photography would play an important role in my future, but I didn't realize this out until about 10 years ago. You could say being a photographer is in my DNA. When my grandfather was young and came to America from England to escape World War 2, he was an apprentice diamond cutter and a film photographer. He would go door-to-door with portraits he'd taken, offering folks the opportunity to have their portraits taken for a small fee. This was only for a short time to help pay the bills, but I'm pretty sure he never actually put a camera down until a few years ago, he's in his 90s now. All my life growing up, he was there photographing his children and grandchildren. He rarely, if ever, asked us to pose for pictures so most of the time he went unnoticed to me. In my grandparent's home, there is a long hallway leading to the back of the house and both sides are completely lined with beautiful portraits and family photos that my grandfather took over the years. The feeling I get when I walk down that hallway is so profound to me. I look at the photos of myself and extended family members and I feel joy, I see the authenticity of the portraits, the simplicity of life at that time, a time we can never go back to, before we all grew up and didn't come around as often, or at all. What I didn't think anything of at the time, I can now appreciate more than he will ever know. 

Being able to call this passion my job is truly a blessing. It has taken countless hours and long nights of experimenting and self-teaching and workshops through the years to get to the point I am at today with my work. I specialize in photographing weddings and engagements, but I also love lifestyle portraiture. Lifestyle refers to what I mentioned earlier about my grandfather not asking us to "pose" for photos. A lifestyle photographer aims to capture portraits/people in situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and in the art of the everyday.      

    When I started my business in 2011, it was my lifeblood. I lived and breathed photography. I am now a mother of two young children with a third on the way and photography is still my passion, but it comes second to my job as a mother. For that reason I have scaled back the amount of work I take on each year. I will never stop doing photography, it is my creative outlet and something that I truly do for happiness, but I have shifted my focus to portraiture and lifestyle photography and away from weddings for the time being.

A few random things about me: 

I recently found out I’m a 9 on the Enneagram and I’m totally obsessed with learning all about it!
I’m passionate about health and nutrition, and good food!
My last name is now Massa, but I kept my maiden name for my business.
I still get giddy when new film scans from a recent shoot show up in my inbox. I hope that never changes!

My hair is naturally curly and in 2019 I decided to stop straightening it and embrace my natural hair. I used to think it made me look unprofessional but have since accepted that it’s just hair and I can embrace what I was born with. :)

I'm located in Southern Oregon, Grants Pass to be exact, but do travel to Medford and Ashland frequently.