*How did you get started?
- After I FINALLY bought a DSLR camera, photography became an immediate obsession. I started a 365 project shortly after, taking at least 1 photo a day, every day of the year. A few family shoots and a friends wedding made it clear this is what I loved to do. Now I do this full-time, every day. And I love being a photographer.
*Where are your favorite places to shoot engagement sessions?
- I prefer to shoot in good light. If good light is in a field, a parking lot, a basement, or a marina, I’ll totally do it. The pictures are about you and being unique, so I try to avoid more populated destinations.
*What’s in your gear bag?
- Gear. I use Nikon professional cameras (D700) and shoot with prime lenses. I have a backup camera of course. If lighting is going to be either tricky or dramatic, I bring my umbrella, light stands, flashes, and all that nonsense so that I can balance on a bridge with incoming traffic with a ferris wheel in the background, if the situation calls for it.
*What do I get on my disc of images?
- Full size, edited images! Portrait sessions usually average between 60-80 images and weddings between 400-600. You are welcome to print and share these images for your own personal use. But you can’t sell them to GQ or Vogue. That’s MY job!
*How far are you willing to travel?
- My travel restrictions prohibit me from leaving the Milky Way Galaxy. Otherwise, I love travelling and destination weddings. Contact me for a travel quote!
*What’s with using film sometimes?
- Film is beautiful, unique, and can never be quite replicated by digital cameras. I love the look so I want to share it with you.
*I love photography too! How do I get better as a photographer?
- Awesome! Making pictures will make you happy. There is always so much to learn but it’s not the gear, it’s the hours. Just like any trade skill, you have to put in the time to learn. In my first two years with a camera I probably averaged at least 2 hours a day on photography (making pictures, editing, reading). That was well over 700 hours annually of dedicated photo time on top of my regular day job and personal life. You have to love it and keep at it, even when you don’t feel like it. But when you make that image you can be proud of, you’ll never stop.
*Why do you eat so much?
- It is a well-known fact that cows have 4 stomach compartments. A rare disease also occurs in some humans called psychoquadristomatitis in which an individual believes they possess four stomach compartments and therefore eats to compensate for their empty digestive system. Societal effects include successful burrito establishments, distrust of soup, and cranky behavior in between meal times. I have this.