Beauty is a call to transcendence.

Dear Fellow Soul,

You were made for such a time as this.

I’m Jiza (JY-zuh), wife of a US veteran, and homeschooling mother for four children. Although we have moved and lived all over the country, we are currently settled in our home state of Virginia. I am a contemplative, empathetic and sensitive soul. I love people fiercely, and I view my faith in the same way. I'm a big dreamer, and I'm not afraid of chasing them. I have an affinity for the poetic and nostalgic. My happy place is sitting in a big, comfortable chair with a good book and a warm beverage, preferably with a scenic view outside my window. I love good conversation and deep big belly laughs (the kind that makes you cry) with friends over a richly-scented mug of coffee, tea, or a glass of wine.

I strive to find richness and beauty in all things - both in the exciting and in the mundane.

I believe the world can reduce the transcendent reality of a wedding. While I love photographing the hustle and bustle of a wedding day, along with all the added decorative details reflecting the couple's taste and interests, I understand that this is an event that is greater than myself. It is two souls coming together in love to start their extraordinary, earthly pilgrimage as one for the rest of their lives. I'm witnessing a commitment, a covenant, through my camera lens. What a privilege and gift it is for me to play a small part in it! As a photographer, my goal is for these images to serve as a reminder in the years to come, a visual reminder of your life's blessings and beauty. I also enjoy capturing candid moments of you with your loved ones, because when life gets hard or when we lose those dear to us, I know those images become priceless.

Long after the wedding day, I also love photographing your growing family. This is where your life together flourishes, gets challenged, and is strengthened. Being able to provide tangible reminders of moments that can pass by us so quickly is important to me. I believe mom and dad could always use photos together at every stage of life. I am also a strong believer that mom needs to be in beautiful, heirloom quality photographs with her children, so they could cherish those images as they get older.

Whether you are preparing for an exciting and beautiful wedding, about to welcome your first baby, navigating the teenage parenting years, or somewhere in between, I desire to preserve this season for you. The one that you’re living today.

You will never regret having tangible reminders of you with your family and loved ones, just as it looks and feels right now.

Let's connect and create something timeless, meaningful, and beautiful, together.

Chat soon,

Jiza

Crafted & Inspired

For almost a decade, I have had the blessing of documenting extraordinary milestones of couples entering marriage, families celebrating the arrival of a new little one, or brilliant individuals starting a new career or business all over the country. But I wanted the brand of Olive and Cypress to have a message beyond the images I produce, for my clients to discover that the beauty of their life and their personal story is more than just a pretty photograph. So, O&C was crafted and inspired by the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 41:

I will put in the desert

the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.

I will set junipers in the wasteland,

the fir and the cypress together,

so that people may see and know,

may consider and understand,

that the hand of the Lord has done this,

that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

We were created and placed on this earth with people and with these experiences for a greater purpose. Let’s celebrate life!

let's get together soon

I love good conversation and deep belly laughs over a richly-scented mug of coffee, tea, or a glass of wine.