The boy who changed everything: How Tucker inspired my photography journey

One of the images from Tuckers sacred session

In 2019—before Christine Pudel Photography was even an idea—I met a baby named Tucker.

I wasn’t holding a camera back then. I was working as a nurse in the Pediatric Cardiac ICU.

Tucker had been a patient for several weeks when I was assigned to care for him on a day I will never forget.

The day he earned his wings.

It was one of the hardest days I’ve ever witnessed… and one of the most holy.

His parents surrounded him with the kind of love and courage that leaves a permanent imprint on your heart. In the middle of their grief, they chose to honor his life—not just in presence, but in memory.

After Tucker passed, his parents reached out to a fellow medical mom and photographer, Kristy Wolfe (@kristy.wolfe), who came to the hospital to document their time with him—without the tubes and wires he’d lived with since birth.

It was the first time they’d seen their son without medical equipment. And through Kristy’s lens, they were able to hold him and grieve him in a way that felt human and sacred.

Watching that unfold cracked something open in me.

I wasn’t a photographer yet.

But a seed was planted that day:

What if I could give families a way to hold on to love… even in the hardest of goodbyes?

That seed would slowly grow into a branch of my business—sacred session photography.

It’s not something I post often. It's deeply private, always tender, and sacred beyond words.

But it’s one of the deepest honors of my work.

Why I photograph the way I do - how it has changed my photography journey

Tucker’s story is one of the reasons I approach photography the way I do.

Every session—whether it’s a newborn, a first birthday, or an end-of-life goodbye—carries legacy with it.

Sometimes you’re taking photos to remember joy.

Other times, you’re taking photos to not forget what you were willing to survive.

Tucker’s life changed mine.

And to his parents—thank you for trusting me to walk with you in that moment.

Your love and bravery still guide me.

If you’re in the middle of a hard story and need someone to gently document your sacred moments, I will come.

I will hold space, not just the camera. And I will treat your story with the same reverence I witnessed that day.

💙 For Tucker. And for every life that matters.