The Person Behind the Camera

My Story

Capturing what matters,
one frame at a time.

My journey with photography started in 2015 as a high school junior taking Photography 101. My parents gifted me my first camera at graduation, and from there the curiosity never stopped. I went from shooting professional headshots for churches, schools, families, and corporate groups to working the photo center, then moved to Vail, Colorado as a ski mountain photographer; each step teaching me something new about the craft. It was in Vail where I created the Hetzel Productions brand and started putting myself out there, even when I was still spending more time fixing mistakes in Photoshop than getting things right in-camera.

Everything clicked when I landed a job at a local camera shop back in Milwaukee. Surrounded by gear and mentors who could answer every question, I finally mastered my settings, found my voice and editing style, and fell in love with flash and creative portrait work. In early 2021, I took the leap and invested in a co-owned studio, giving me a controlled space to shoot year-round. After years of thinking photography was just a side hustle, I realized this is what I'm meant to do, help my clients bring their vision to life and capture beautiful moments in a unique, creative way. A photo takes a second to capture, but the memories last a lifetime.