Inspired.

You may have known me from my portrait studio, Kortney Ringel Photography.  The studio started in business in 2004 and sort of phased out in 2015-16.  At the time, I was going through a very difficult time in my life.  My husband came out as a gay man and we began the divorce process. It was obviously awful, but the thought of losing the family that I had dreamt of my entire life was debilitating.  Photographing families at that point in my life was torturous.  I couldn’t complete a session without having to fight tears, as every one was a reminder of what I had lost.

Over the last 4 years, I have been on an incredible journey.  There has been pain and suffering.  There has been self-discovery.  Lots of learning.  Learning how to let go, learning how to find joy.  Most important of all, learning how to be me and love me.

Photography allows me to express myself.  The best photographers aren’t just taking pictures of a thing.  They are photographing something that is inside of the thing.  Something that is greater than the thing – the energy, the emotion, the STORY.

My inspiration for whatever it is I’m photographing is to see inside of the “thing”.  It allows me to capture your spirit, soul, your passion and what’s important to you.  I now photograph people and families because I want you to see what I see – the relationships, the connections, passion and love that you are.  I want you to have your portrait artwork as a reminder of all of that amazing goodness and love that is your life.

What inspires you?