WELCOME TO THE HOOD
The Journal
Featured Posts
My dear mama, I know the “perfect window” feels like it’s passed. I know the voices telling you “too late” echo in your mind. Maybe your little one spent days in the NICU, or maybe you were lost in the haze of postpartum exhaustion, anxiety, or grief. Maybe you simply needed time to catch your […]
Behind the Camera
Xan
Heller
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was dubbed the "artistic one" in my family pretty early on. I was always creating - be it drafting architectural drawings and aeriel views of our house, or paper machéing a 6 foot whale, or decorating Altoid tins to give as gifts, writing stories about cats, or collaging every inch of my bedroom walls (and ceilings!) with magazine cut outs.
To no one's surprise, I chose to study film in college. To my surprise, during my first year at Chapman University, my Cinematography professor convinced me that what I truly was drawn to was the still image.
After an amazing study abroad program in London and a stint working in publication in New York City (Vogue, Men's Vogue, and Brides Magazine) and some time back in Los Angeles (LA Times Magazine, C California Style), I got my fine art degree in Photography & Imaging from Art Center College of Design.
After meeting my husband in Austin, Texas, we settled down back in the Bay Area where we now raise our 3 boys, 2 tuxedo cats, and 1 husky.
It wasn't until I came out of the fog of motherhood that I realized the necessity to reclaim my identity as so much more than just "mom." Slowly, I've found myself again through connection, friendships, and art. I recognize and find ways to celebrate the incredible woman that I have always been and everyday am becoming.
It is such a joy and privilege to help other women recognize their own strength and beauty through portraits.
FAVORITE pOSTS & RESOURCES
The portrait Shoot Style guide
TIPS FOR THE BEST GOLDEN HOUR PHOTOS
Let's Make
SOMETHING
BEAUTIFUL
Whether you’ve just discovered those life-altering lines, find yourself gracefully carrying the weight of late pregnancy, are navigating the tender blur of sleepless nights, or simply marveling at how swiftly your baby has grown beyond your arms—every season of motherhood holds a beauty all its own. Even in the quiet moments of rediscovery, when the fog begins to lift and your strength shines anew, each chapter is a story worthy of being preserved as timeless art.
