02/01/2026
Not to be cheesy, but seriously… how do you measure a year?
2025 was… rough? Interesting? Eye opening ? Maddening? Wonderful? Painful? Exhausting?
And yet, I feel grateful. If you don’t know me well enough, I’m unfortunately sickeningly optimistic.
I think I’ve battled enough in life and my brain just went welp, it can’t get worse than this! Up and atom, ya know?
Anyways, back to why I’m grateful.
2025 was the year I found a path.
At the end of 2024, my insanely crazy cool, talented kiddo joined a new theater program… Rhode to Broadway.
She scored the lead as Miss Hannigan in their play as Annie. Her first lead role!
I knew Chelsea from a previous program, and so I reached out to volunteer and see if she’d like photos of the show free of charge.
Not only to capture my kiddos journey, but because I knew what an incredible show it would be (because Chelsea puts on one hell of a show) and I wanted to support them any way I could.
I was also in a place of wanting to photograph everyone and every thing, but wasn’t sure where I should be, and wanted to try and see where my passions really were.
Chelsea enthusiastically said YES. We made plans for me to shoot the final tech day and I’m going to get emotional typing this, but the second I showed up and started capturing BTS, I felt a gut punch in the best way.
Seriously. It was like the wind was knocked out of me and I started realizing THIS is the space I needed to be in.
This is where I belong. Even if this experience was a one off, I knew from then on I would seek out theaters to photograph.
But more importantly, youth theaters.
I’ve always preferred photographing kids over adults because I love (and prefer) candid, more documentary style photos and thanks to photographing my own child literally her whole life I know how to do it well. (Ya gotta be QUICK)
When the lights went down and the final tech performance began, I once again lost my breath. I got teary eyed, and even more so when my kid came on stage and absolutely killed it.
Being in a dark auditorium, and one of maybe 3-5 people watching a show is an other worldly feeling that first time.
More so when you’re watching every thing so closely.
I got struck by the biggest feelings of relief, joy, excitement because this was it.
This is where I’m supposed to be.
So I want to thank my kiddo for showing me the way, and allowing me in to so much of her life with the most enthusiasm and love you could ever hope for.
And I want to thank Chelsea.
After that show, she asked me back, again and again. I started doing social media, website, etc almost immediately too and she supported me, but most importantly we support each other. You couldn’t ask for more.
I mean, she literally hired Ethan Slater in July to teach a Master Class and perform at our Gala and had me capture it all. What? The freaking tin man? Are you kidding me?
She quite literally has changed the trajectory of my life. How huge is that?
And I want to thank her for creating such a warm, welcoming environment for kids and teens to feel like they can really grow and learn. Not only that, but she’s created a safe space for all. All are welcome with the biggest open arms and smiles.
And thank you to all the little ones and teens who allow me to photograph them! I respect boundaries and attitudes immensely, and all of our students have been so open to me documenting their journeys.
I’m excited to see what we do in this next year!
Follow along with us, please! It’s such an exciting time for RTB. And RTB is the one to watch and support in 2026.
Thank you for reading this, and thanks for watching and supporting me and RTB 💗
