In 1970 my grandparents retired to their new home they built on 160 acres near Hillsboro, Missouri.  Using a Native American word that means "the place where the heart desires to be" - tonglito (tahn-GLEE-tow) - they named their new home Tonglito Farm.  I spent most of my childhood visiting the Farm with my parents, brothers, and extended family throughout the year, but particularly for Thanksgiving and Fourth of July holidays.  It is the place of many childhood memories; a place all of us grandchildren of Marshall and Evelyn Bridwell still remember fondly today.

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It is in that spirit that I first created Tonglito Photography Studios in 2011. After several years, a new name emerged as the unwritten brand my images have now become known by. You can read about it here. It was an extremely tough decision to formally rebrand everything under the name you now know. That occurred throughout 2025. But the original meaning of Tonglito stays with me strongly today. And as was true then, it's still true now...

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There is no physical studio here; that 'place' is up to you.  My hope is to capture those moments in the faces of you and your loved ones; moments that you'll cherish for a lifetime. A moment where your heart desires to be.