Hi, I’m Leslie!
Wife of 12 years to Kevin, and mom to four gorgeous, hilarious, insanely high energy boys. I love, LOVE capturing new life through photography, finding inspiration and joy in average days, being an entrepreneur, helping other people be successful in their businesses, really good hot tea, cinnamon rolls, funny memes, IPAs, punk rock, tattoos, and cheesy reality shows. My faith in Jesus is a fundamental piece of my life and therefore a fundamental part of the way I create art. We are currently transitioning from our current life in the foothills of the romantic Blue Ridge Mountains to our forever home in the storied cobblestoned streets of Amsterdam, NL.
This is my first, Kev
He made me a mom back in August of 2015, hence GREEN (his birthstone). He has taught me how to give myself up for someone else, how to love deeper, how to commit harder, and how to live more gently. He’s taught me to slow down, to notice the details, and to remember that life-giving breaths are found in stillness.
This is my second, Grey
He’s the “Grey” in Green and Grey. He’s our passionate, fierce, precious middle son. His presence has brought us a new understanding of endurance, perseverance, joy, and love. He brought me from a world of perfect routine into unknown and un-controlled, and he’s taught me to be ok with the not knowing.
This is my third, Rayne
Pronounced “rain”, this sweet third boy’s presence has taught me how to release fear, how to encounter God in a dynamic, relational way, how to be at peace with the things that are out of my control, and how to lean into healing by acknowledging and accepting my past.
This is my fourth, Valor
Valor has taught me that my heart can always expand. He’s taught me that my ideas of what’s best for myself may not actually be what’s best, and that sometimes the most incredible gifts can come in with really difficult wrapping. He was our big surprise, and while he wasn’t an expected part of our family he is undoubtedly the most important, most special unexpected surprise we’ve ever been given.
My first Birth Experience
I took this photo in August of 2007. This was the first birth I ever witnessed. I wasn’t really a photographer yet, I was just a camera-slinging teenager. I had gone into the birth with trepidation, and I left on a high. I was awed by the miracle that is birth, in love with the process, and energized by the emotion and joy and excitement in the room. Being put in a situation where I had to think quickly about finding a way to get the right shot was right up my ally, and I knew I wouldn’t find anything to match it.
the story continues…
I tried out several specialties within photography and finally settled on Birth Photography in 2013. Between 2007 and 2018 I got married, became pregnant three times, successfully delivered two babies (in the Netherlands and in the US), and moved four times (twice internationally). We bought a house in the Upstate of SC in 2018 and decided to settle here for a few years. My husband pushed me to make my passion a career and became my business partner/ full-time-cheerleader in April of 2019, and by June 2019 Green and Grey Photo was born.
Things will continue evolving and changing as life moves ahead, but one thing I know for sure is that I will always love the miracle that is birthing a baby. I will seek to keep finding light in dark spaces. I will happily be a sounding board, connector-of-people, and sharer-of-good-things. I value truth. These things inform how I work now and will continue to be the backbone of my process in the future. My greatest desire is that, in choosing Green and Grey to shoot for your family, you know that you’ve chosen someone who values the story you’re asking me to capture.
