Hi, I’m Cass!

I was born and raised in Wisconsin, where my love for family and nature was deeply rooted.

My parents, both incredibly sweet and entrepreneurial, went their separate ways when I was three. This shaped my appreciation for family in all its forms and for the different ways love can look. It also deepened my love for photography—using photos to find beauty, love, and stories from the past, and to reconnect with the moments where memories might be fading.

I spent summers and winters with my maternal grandparents on the shores of Lake Nebagamon, swimming, fishing, and playing with the neighbor kids.

On the other side of the family, my paternal grandparents ran a beautiful dairy farm in Waldo, WI. Some of my fondest memories are from those days—witnessing the birth of a calf, playing in the hay bales with my cousins, and even hand-milking cows.

My partner and I moved from Wisconsin to San Francisco in 2014 for work, and two years later, we were married and welcomed our first baby into our one-bedroom apartment in the Haight. Now, with three kids, we've made our home in a cozy A-frame treehouse in San Anselmo, where we've lived for the past three years.

I started Pitaya Photography in 2019, working with families all over the Bay Area full-time until the pandemic hit. I took a step back for a year or two, during which I grew as a person and artist in ways that connected me more deeply with my work, this business and my community. Now, I offer sessions on weekends and some Friday evenings.

My passion is connection. I’m drawn to the photos where people are sharing a candid moment, no matter how small. I’m moved by how essential human relationships are to us—people are everything.

Grateful for you,

Cass