More Than A Photograph

Everyone I meet is a friend in the making. I've rarely met someone who I didn't like ... at least on the initial meeting.

As a photographer, I've been meeting a ton of new faces lately and each one of them brings something unique to the table. It's interesting to try and plan for a session based on preconceived notions and then to find out when you meet them, the person is nothing like expected. That's life. And it's quite amazing to go into something blind, which is essentially every photo shoot.

Photographer JoeyL said recently that photography isn't about just clicking a shutter, it's about what goes into the portrait. That's sooo true.

My sessions lately have produced seniors and families who I feel connected to as soon as they walk in the door and as they leave the studio. And then some of them become immediate friends who won't depart from my friendship box in the near future.

To me, photography isn't about snapping the shutter just so I can see the back of the camera and then show it off to all my good friends. I didn't become a photographer so that I'd be the cool guy (I'm a LONG way from that point). Photography is about more than a photograph. Its also about the experience and the relationship developed between subject(s) and photographer. I've shared Wendy's burgers and fries with some of the coolest people I've ever met and nearly lost a toe in the same afternoon with the same people. They put up with my rambling and I learned about their Amish adventures and hidden, stolen bikes in cars to avoid trouble from mom. We trespassed, listened to great music that I'll never be able to dance to and had a blast. Long story short, if you want an experience along with your portraits, I think you know who you can call. If you aren't interested in anything but snapshots, well, I'm into creating memories that last a lifetime....

Each person I meet has a story of their own and I love to learn it and remember it.

There have been people walk in front of my camera scared to death that they will look bad or "break the camera". It's not happened yet and my camera's been through more than 200,000 shots. When they see the results, there have been shrieks of joy, laughter and even tears because they didn't realize they actually looked as beautiful as they really do. And that to me makes it all worth it.

Nothing is more satisfying than capturing those first smiles of a brand new baby, the first kiss of a newlywed couple and every other milestone and everyday moment that happens. Photography is so important to me that I live it on a daily basis. Everyone deserves that one perfect photo that makes them say "I can still remember the breeze, the smell of the trees and why I was laughing! THOSE were the days...."

If you want that, let me know and we'll create something that will last longer than Facebook News Feeds.