diff --git a/src/components/AnimateItems.tsx b/src/components/AnimateItems.tsx
index 5fe89d4a..9179a697 100644
--- a/src/components/AnimateItems.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AnimateItems.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import { ReactNode, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Variant, motion } from 'framer-motion';
 import { useAppState } from '@/state';
+import usePrefersReducedMotion from '@/utility/usePrefersReducedMotion';
 
 export type AnimationType = 'none' | 'scale' | 'left' | 'right' | 'bottom';
 
@@ -41,11 +42,14 @@ function AnimateItems({
     nextPhotoAnimation,
     clearNextPhotoAnimation,
   } = useAppState();
+
+  const prefersReducedMotion = usePrefersReducedMotion();
   
   const hasLoadedInitial = useRef(hasLoaded);
   const nextPhotoAnimationInitial = useRef(nextPhotoAnimation);
 
   const shouldAnimate = type !== 'none' &&
+    !prefersReducedMotion &&
     !(animateOnFirstLoadOnly && hasLoadedInitial.current);
   const shouldStagger =
     !(staggerOnFirstLoadOnly && hasLoadedInitial.current);
diff --git a/src/utility/usePrefersReducedMotion.ts b/src/utility/usePrefersReducedMotion.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f8e70cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utility/usePrefersReducedMotion.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+const MEDIA_QUERY_SELECTOR = '(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)';
+const MEDIA_QUERY_EVENT = 'change';
+
+const usePrefersReducedMotion = () => {
+  const [prefersReducedMotion, setPrefersReducedMotion] = useState(
+    window.matchMedia(MEDIA_QUERY_SELECTOR).matches
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const mediaQuery = window.matchMedia(MEDIA_QUERY_SELECTOR);
+
+    const listener = () => {
+      setPrefersReducedMotion(mediaQuery.matches);
+    };
+
+    mediaQuery.addEventListener(MEDIA_QUERY_EVENT, listener);
+    return () => mediaQuery.removeEventListener(MEDIA_QUERY_EVENT, listener);
+  }, []);
+
+  return prefersReducedMotion;
+};
+
+export default usePrefersReducedMotion;