My Story

Everyone has a Story. Here’s a peek into mine.

My Story

Hi! I’m Gabi.

I’m a wife to Geoff and mom to Charlotte, Nathaniel, and 3 furry children (Little Miss, Chester, and Andrea). I am told I live up to my name, so we might get lost in conversation at some point down the road . I love to laugh and am always looking for the humor in everything (it’s one of the reasons why I fell in love with my husband, he makes me laugh).

Now, I’m sure this is the part where I am supposed to tell you all about my photography journey, how much I love taking photos, and how I am going to freeze time for you. While I do love taking photos and I would love to preserve your precious memories through photography, that is not why I do what I do.

Truth be told: I am a recovering perfectionist. I know it may seem ironic given what my mission is, but honestly, embracing imperfections and our everyday struggles is HARD. It’s hard not to compare ourselves to others without feeling like we are falling short. For a long time, I felt like I was the only person struggling through this thing called life; everyone else seemed to have it all figured out except me.

Documentary photography was the therapy I needed. It showed me my struggles, weren’t my own—others were feeling the same way I was; we just didn’t talk about it. It allowed me to see the beauty in what I once thought were flaws. I learned to fall in love with ALL of life, because all moments have value: the good and the bad, the easy and the hard, the joyous and the mundane—and I am so much happier for it.

Let me show you the masterpiece of your everyday life, help you celebrate your true essence, and we can work on combating perfectionism together. You and your family are enough as you are, no prerequisites required.

Watch the video above to see my own day in the life session from 2018.
Photos by Shawna Stanley.

Random Gabi Facts

I prefer vanilla over chocolate
My favorite books are the Art of Racing in the Rain and Marley and Me
Shows I’m currently obsessed with: The Handmaid’s Tale, Modern Family, Brooklyn 99, Perfect Harmony, and Supernatural (I am very late to the party on this one LOL)
My ideal weekend is relaxing on my couch, cuddling with my family
I love musicals (my absolute favorite is Rent)
If a movie is even remotely sad, I will cry during it. (Damn you, Disney!)
I would be absolutely useless in the event of a zombie apocalypse (thanks for the enlightenment, The Walking Dead). I however, could do a pretty badass job documenting our experiences though.
I love GIFs. Seriously though, I am not sure how we communicated on the internet without them, nothing makes me happier than finding a good GIF to add to an online conversation.
I believe candy corn is basically just candy-flavored wax.
I love Tom Hanks. He’s a national treasure. Tell me otherwise 😉

So that is me in a nutshell. I cannot wait to get to know you and your story, so send me a message and let’s get acquainted.

*First photo by Courtney Maltman with Momentologie Photography and the rest by Shawna Stanley with Shawna Stanley Co.

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What People are Saying

“It really was about the whole family.”

“Gabriella is so adaptable and genuine. Even my somewhat introverted three year old instantly warmed up to her and did his own thing the whole time while she was here. She integrated Grandpa’s arrival and my husband’s departure mid-session too . Some of the best shots were captured during those routine transitions. There is even one of me getting a kiss on the cheek from my husband! It wasn’t all about the cute three-year-old, it really was about the whole family.”

— Sarah, Mom of an adorable 3-year-old.

“I wish my parents had done something like this when we were kids.”

“Gabi captures real life and all the moments that don’t show in a [traditional] family portrait session. I wish my parents had done something like this when we were kids. It is the perfect chance to show your kids in the future what life was like when they were little.”

— Laura, Mom of two.

“”Gabi is a must.”

“Gabi is a must. She is super friendly and fun and almost magical with a camera. She takes an every day moment that seems so insignificant at the time and turns it into a beautiful lasting memory with a simple click.”

— Melissa, Mom of two.

Let’s Have Coffee!

Don’t be shy. Drop me a line and we’ll schedule a time to chat about all things photo and get to know one another.

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