Born in 1999, in the red-bricked heart of Birmingham, Alabama, my earliest years unfolded within the chalk-dusted walls of a gym. There, as a competitive gymnast, I learned discipline, hard work, and the quiet resilience that comes from chasing dreams across unfamiliar cities. When I wasn’t in the gym, I was buried in books, lost in the quiet world of academic pursuit.

Amid the rigor and routine of those formative years, there were moments—small, golden fragments—when time seemed to still. In those rare breaks from the rhythms I knew all too well, I chased fireflies under twilight skies or wandered off during family vacations, my father’s camera in hand. I’d photograph the ordinary: a ladybug lingering on a windowsill, sunlight pooling on the kitchen floor, the soundless laughter of loved ones along some forgotten trail.

It was in those quiet, sacred intervals that I first encountered beauty—not the kind that demands attention, but the kind that waits to be noticed. Unknowingly, I fell in love—with humankind, adventure, and with the art of preserving moments as they unfold in their truest, most beautiful form.

Becoming an artist, though, was never the plan. I followed a more expected path, earning my degree in Biochemistry from Baylor University as a student athlete, planning to become a doctor. But even as I walked that road, a quiet ache persisted—an inner knowing that my life was meant to be offered in a different kind of love. That God was calling me to a different path.

That longing led me home—to art, to storytelling, to a life rich with wonder and love. Though I still carry a deep affection for my former passions, a new life has emerged for me: one filled with adventure across the globe, the warmth of dinner tables shared with dear friends, and admiration of the golden glow with each passing sunset. For the past three years, it has been my deepest joy and greatest honor to document the love stories of so many remarkable souls. Each photograph is a thread of my heart, stitched gently into the fabric of another’s story.

So from my heart to yours—thank you for being here. Thank you for letting me be a part of something so beautifully human, transforming this garden into the Garden City.

xoxo

Kara Warren