MY PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE:
ALL THERE IS
IS LOVE
The longer I live on this planet, the more I realize this is true.
At the end of the day, love is all we live for.
About Me
Hello! My name is Bailey (she/her), and I am currently rooted in Brooklyn with my loving husband Yuta, our little nugget of a puppy Junebug, our obscene record & art book collections, and 25 plant babies (& counting)!
As far back as I can remember, art has been a part of my soul. My grandmother would put out countless art supplies on the card table in her kitchen and let me experiment. Creating just came so naturally to me, so I ran with it. Drawing, painting, dance, music, theater. And when it came time for college, I decided to go to art school.
Yuta was the TA of my first photography class, and needless to say- it changed my life forever. As soon as I picked up the camera- something clicked (no pun intended!) I started seeing the world differently- thinking and seeing critically, perceiving light in a whole new way, finding beauty in the everyday. I discovered how magical it is that a single image has a different meaning to every single viewer. I guess that's what art is all about.
My clients feed my soul.
My job is to seek out people’s values and priorities in order to truly SEE them, and deliver images that will feel true to them. When I’m photographing someone, I’m bringing out their vulnerability in order to capture an authentic snap shot of them that will truly reflect them, and that they will treasure because they were seen in their best light- their most confident, glowing versions of themselves. It’s so inspiring to be able to provide someone with that kind of validating experience.
But honestly, being an artist in a capitalist society is no easy task. As someone who is a strong advocate for community over competition, I never felt like the capital-A “Art world” suited me. Photographing weddings supports my livelihood and allows me the flexibility and freedom to pursue my PERSONAL ART PRACTICE and advocacy work that fills my mental and emotional cup. (Looking for some fine art prints for your home? Click HERE!) I show up better for everyone in my life- my family, my friends, my community, my husband, my dog, my plants!, and even myself- when this balance is struck. Thank you for helping to make this my reality.
For some people photography is a job,
For me, it’s a life-force.
Kind Words:
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"Beyond her incredible talent as a photographer - I mean, we look GOOD - Bailey is super easy to talk to & fun to hang out with."
- Rachel & Peter
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"I felt like she was my advocate, and I trusted her."
- Sarah & Jay
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"Bailey made us feel so comfortable and captured us & our love so well. "
- Kathleen & Betty
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"Bailey was upbeat, knowledgeable and responsive."
- Kelly & Donell
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"She felt like a friend we had known for years. "
- Abby & Alex
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"Bailey is such a positive, easy-going, upbeat and knowledgable photographer."
- Zoe & Gil
So, how did I get into weddings? As a feminist, it’s been and interesting trajectory- I used to think of weddings as merely an outdated tradition leftover from an era when women were treated like property.
But what I’ve gleaned from 10 years of marriage and 8 years in the wedding “industry” is that modern weddings can actually be very aligned with values of autonomy, egalitarianism, and social justice.
In fact, we NEED them. The world needs more opportunities to take a break from the chaos of life and come together to recognize how sacred and necessary love truly is.
Photography chose me.
There WAS the immediate satisfaction of being able to create a piece of art in a literal fraction of a second, rather than spending countless hours hunched over a drawing. But also- my memory isn’t great. One of my biggest fears is forgetting details about things that are important to me, especially about loved ones. Photographs give us the ability to preserve things the exact way they were in that instant, and you have a record of them forever.
And having the resulting photographic object is one thing- but slowing down and being present to frame the composition, find the right angle, and get the lighting just right to preserve a moment in its most crystallized form- is a big part of what helps me remember it. In that way, I’m in love with the process, and the resulting image is just a reminder of that- a bonus. Yuta and I sometimes joke that we should just shoot on our cameras without loading any film. (Don’t worry, this would never happen at a wedding. It was just a thought experiment!!)
Yuta & I at the northern tip of Block Island, RI- my absolute favorite place in the world. (So far!)
Little plug to Yuta’s work, & the universe that brought us together from across the globe (he’s from Tokyo!)
Fun fact: I fell in love with his work before I met him. And it’s not hard to see why...
View more of his work HERE.
Our wedding was authentic to us:
Yuta & I have been married 10 years.
〰️ No one proposed, we just agreed to commit to each other.
〰️ We got married in the park where we had our first date.
〰️ I wore a vintage yellow dress I bought on Etsy.
〰️ Our 35 guests sat on picnic blankets.
〰️ Everyone cried.
We were young. We didn’t know if it would be forever, but we knew it was the right choice for us at the time. And it 1000% luckily still is.
We did things our way. Not to say it was the RIGHT way (there as many RIGHT ways to get married as there are couples on this planet.) But it was authentic to US, and I’d never do it any differently.
What a wedding day really IS,
i.e. a Love Manifesto by Bailey Quinlan:
A wedding at its essence, is a chance to take a pause from the grind of daily life and intentionally celebrate your love and lives together, joined by- if you so choose- your favorite most supportive people in the world.
We weren’t meant to live our lives in self-sufficient stoicism. We’re social creatures. We need community. The stability and companionship of a truly madly deeply loving relationship allows each of you to lean on the other, and in turn become more whole. This means love allows each of you to live your lives closer to their fullest potential. You are each MORE YOU.
The world is a scary, overwhelming place. If we thought about it too much, we’d never get out of bed. Knowing there’s always someone there who has your back, encouraging you to leave self-doubt at the door- gives us hope.
Having a wedding is to take a moment- a whole day- to feel immersed by that love.
& I’m honored to be a part of it. To facilitate vulnerability & presence. And to then reflect it back in my images.
Keep loving,
Bailey <3
I take inspiration from:
〰️ vintage scientific illustrations
〰️ family snap shots
〰️ texture, light & the natural world
〰️ TREES (I’m a Taurus sun ruled by Venus after all)
〰️ Artsy films (Some faves: Eraserhead, Paris Texas, Moonrise Kingdom)
〰️ the mind/body/spirit connection, tarot, and really anything woo-woo
〰️ the infinite cosmos
This is my legacy.
I found this Kodachrome slide of my mom's parent's wedding day hidden away in a closet in a locked box (wasn't that hard to break in). I love finding goldmines of family history.
I can’t stress how eternally grateful I am to my clients who put their trust in me to create artful images for them and guide their wedding experience. Not only does my “day job” allow me to be creative, but the value it holds is REAL. There’s truly no price tag you can put on a photo of a loved one. You can buy a limited edition print for a certain amount of money, but a family snapshot will mean so much more than that- for generations to come.
There was one week where I had 3 separate past clients message me telling me how meaningful it is to have those images of their grandparents in such joyous moments surrounded by community. Life is so fleeting. And if I’m able to make a business memorializing joy & love, I truly believe I’m accomplishing my goal of leaving the world better than I found it.
My favorite photo of my Grandma on my dad's side is her bridal portrait. My personal project A Day at the Lake is about where she grew up.
Photography is alchemy.
It’s magic.
