I could tell you about how I have always loved photography, or how many rolls of film I went through in college, or how my father had built a darkroom in our basement when I was a child, but the real reason I am a photographer is because of the loss of my son Owen. He was stillborn… full-term… completely unexpectedly and without explanation… and it left me searching for meaning in life. Most of all, I wanted my son’s life to matter so that he would not be forgotten.
In order to help myself heal, I decided I would surround myself with happiness. Photography became a way for me to cultivate happiness and to share it with others, and because it was Owen who inspired this decision, in a way, he is also responsible for any joy my photographs bring. I started Reiley Photography at the end of 2006, not long after the birth of my daughter Paige. Since then, every photo I take is evidence that Owen’s life has made a difference in the world.