Black and white photos courtesy of Shoot It Momma Photography

I’m tove (it rhymes with nova)

I’d love to hang out with you and your family. 

I’m a mama to three humans and a bulldog which has made me immune to slobber, loud noises, and extreme outbursts of emotion (see also: funky smells). I promise your family isn’t too loud, crazy, wild, boring, insert any adjective here... I’m right there in the trenches with you and I will not judge!

I never planned to have children yet somehow find tiny feet and bony knees lodged into my back each night. I’ve also been pregnant or breastfeeding since 2010 and love to encourage other mamas in their own journey of growing and raising little humans. It’s the toughest job in the world - monotonous, unrelenting, and rewarding in every way except financially.

In 2010, my husband and I eloped to a Tucson courthouse then promptly moved across America. His Air Force career landed us in England for seven magical years while also sparking in me an obsession with photographing military ceremonies. I’ve felt that deep dread watching my husband pack half a year’s worth of uniforms and supplies as well as the instantaneous relief when he returns safely to my arms. Being able to document that moment for fellow military families is an absolute gift.

In the years BC (before children), I earned Bachelor’s degrees in Fine Arts and Norwegian Language & Literature, which led to me working as a Graphic Designer and Art Director for nearly a decade. Small disclaimer - the Norwegian Language & Lit degree has really only been utilized when singing nursery rhymes to my children. However, I am happy to bring those skills to our session if you fancy hearing me sound like the Ikea spokesman.

If that doesn’t earn me nerd status, perhaps this will: I once attended band camp. I’m a classically trained violinist of nearly 30 years and have performed everywhere from the county fair to Carnegie Hall and Wembley Arena. I started teaching while in high school, working mostly with children under six. Many of the tricks I used to keep my little musicians happy I now use when taking Fine Art Portraits as well as my Photography Workshops.

In a nutshell: this is a safe space. If you have wild maniacs or shrinking wallflowers for children, that’s great. Nursing, bottle feeding, or calling cereal dinner? Solidarity, sister. Have dreams of taking amazing pictures but don’t even know where to start? I’ve been there!

Empathy and understanding are my superpowers. Sure, you’ll get some wall-worthy photos from our session but more importantly, I want you to feel completely at ease as if we go back decades and survived the awkwardness of adolescence together.

So can we hang out? Excellent! You can find all the important info in the tabs above.

The photographs alone turned out amazing. However, the way [Tove] interacted with each student is priceless. This is not your typical school picture session where they're hurried and sat onto a stool and struck with a flash and moved along. Nope! She genuinely took interest in each student...being sensitive to their individual personalities. She made them comfortable and it showed in the photographs. Amazing photographer and a kind person.

- kristin c.