The Sunday before everything changed (October 27th, 2024), Angela and I were having a great time shooting promotional photos with a young family at a Christmas tree farm for our photography studio. We were gearing up for a busy season, ready to capture other families' memories. 

     We have a full house – three kids: our oldest daughter will turn 23 this April, our second celebrated her 21st in March, and our son turns 13 in May, plus two dogs and a cat. So, when life throws a curveball like it did, you can imagine the immediate chaos. Just a day and a half later, on a Tuesday morning (October 29th, 2024), our world suddenly tilted.

     My wife, Angela, who was 42 at the time (her birthday is December 13th), suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. Our 23rd wedding anniversary was just around the corner on December 20, 2024. It was a moment that changed everything. What followed was a challenging journey of recovery that tested our strength and highlighted the preciousness of every moment.

     During the weeks Angela spent in the hospital, our lives outside of those walls didn't stand still. Sadly, we ended up losing our photography studio, and honestly, my own motivation and drive to even look at my camera completely vanished. It felt impossible to think about capturing joy and life when we were facing such uncertainty. 

     It wasn't until some time had passed, and I agreed to shoot a senior spring photoshoot for a friend of ours, Serenity, that I picked up my camera again for the first time in what felt like forever. Looking through the lens, despite everything, I realized that photography was still something I felt deeply passionate about. It was like a spark reignited, and it played a crucial role in leading me to the idea for Healing Lens Photography – a venture dedicated to capturing the stories of hope and healing for others facing similar paths. This very personal experience is the driving force behind our mission.