Hey friend! Thanks for making it to my About Me page! It means so much that you want to hear about my story and I am so happy to share it with you. 

First, I know lots of people say my name incorrectly so, I thought this would be a perfect time to tell ya! I find that people remember it when I say "it's pronounced like Dominique, without the 'que' "  (DOM-uh-Knee)
And you've probably seen my logo that incorporates a lightning bolt...that's because my name means lightning - kinda cool, i think! :) Without further ado....here is a bit of my story!

I guess I should start from the beginning, or at least the one I know. I was adopted from India at 11 month old and I was flown to Boston to meet my family in February of 2000. I like to joke that I've been a world traveler from the very beginning...I guess there is some truth to that! After a long trip across the world, My mom, dad, older brother, and I drove to the beautiful state of Maine where I grew up! After crying over the snow for a few days I got pretty used to it and began to love Maine and New England. I spent winters skiing, summers at the lake, Fall was spent on the soccer field. New England was and always will be home.

MY WHY
From the very moment I could toddle through the house and pick up a photo album, I was constantly looking through all the family photos. I would flip through the pages and ask questions. I would try and understand where I fit in in this life, how I ended up here, and where I came from. Although, I have no information on the first year of my life, the photos that my parents took throughout my childhood, and the film photos from their lives before settling down have always captivated me. I am 25 now and I still go home and flip through the photos. From birthday parties, to holidays, and fun day-to-day moments in between, each time I look those albums I learn more and more about how I landed where I am today. I find so much value in story telling and documenting moments that can be shared forever. 

Fast forward... I made it through high school and college, picking up a camera here and there but, never dedicating a lot of time to photography, though. I was living in Burlington Vermont with my boyfriend, Clark after graduating from UVM. With my Psychology degree I was working in the mental health field, counseling teens in crisis. I began to struggle maintaining work-life-balance and knew I had to make an adjustment. As I was pondering ways to decompress from this intense work, and also find a hobby, I picked up the camera again and gave it a shot...literally! At this point Clark and I were a year and a half out of undergrad and had just adopted our beloved dog, Memphis! I was too nervous to bring my camera anywhere but decided Memphis would be a good subject to practice photographing. And he absolutely was! For most of my teen years I was so concerned about what others thought of me. That being the reason I was so nervous to start photography. I have been my own worst critic and still can be [critical of myself]. As draining and hard as that has been, it is also the very thing that pushed me to grow. Photography has truly been the float that has kept my head above water and has allowed me to build my confidence. In no time I was confidently bringing my camera places and began building a portfolio and a passion. 

I am now balancing graduate school and photography. While working towards my masters in social work, I have been able to grow this business, allowing me to document weddings, couples, portraits and more. I feel so grateful that this is the route life has taken me. There's no doubt that I have put in lots of hard work to get here, and I couldn't have made it without trusted friends like you who allow me in to document some of the most meaningful times you'll look back on forever. The little girl in the old family photo albums, and today's version of myself thank YOU for being apart of my growth, learning a bit about me, and allowing me to be apart of your important moments. 

 Where you can find me when I am not doing school work or photography:
-Paddling on the water
-Walks with Memphis,
-Skiing with Clark
 -Hikes with friends
-Binging New Girl or Breaking Bad on my couch!

My story