Being Seen is Not the Same as Being Looked At

(Quiet Truths at House of 301)

Most people believe portraits are about looking good on camera. But the most defining portraits are not about how you look— they’re about how you feel being witnessed.

This is the difference between being looked at and being seen.

In my studio, I don’t photograph performance. I photograph recognition.

When someone walks into House of 301, they often tell me the same thing: “I don’t know what to do with my face.”

This is what most people believe the camera requires— an expression, a pose, a performance for the lens.
But the camera isn’t threatening— the self-consciousness is. The real work is not your ‘good side’. The real work is letting yourself relax into who you actually are.

& when someone exhales and stops trying to ‘perform’, something shifts. Their face changes. Their body softens. Their presence becomes true.

That is the moment I’m waiting for.

Great portraiture is not about posing— it’s about presence.

This is my editorial approach— shaped by years of being photographed myself:

• subtle direction

• slow shaping

• space to settle

• trust in nuance

I believe luxury portrait photography is not about spectacle or drama. It’s about attention— honest, discerning, subtle attention. The kind that reveals the truth instead of decorating it.

This is what makes an image iconic.

Whether I’m photographing a founder, a creative, or a quiet force— my goal is always the same:

I don’t capture a version of you— I reveal a part of you.

House of 301— An Editorial Portrait Studio in Traverse City

I built House of 301 as a studio for people who want images that feel like them— not like a trend. If you’re drawn to portraiture that is understated, refined, and rooted in authenticity— you’re in the right place.

Ready for your own Quiet Truth moment?
Inquire for availability— select dates are open