It all began with an idea…

A Fall Moon

“Don’t tell me that the sky is the limit; when there are footprints on the moon .”

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be writing a blog post for my own photography website; I would have laughed at you. Like; full on, rolling on the floor type of laughter. Yet here we are.

The concept of taking photos for both business and pleasure is not new to me. I have early memories of helping my father on various photoshoots including weddings and little league sports teams. I am sure being the free labor workhorse was the real reason I was “asked'“ to do so many of these events with my father. Or it could also have been the lack of childcare.

I also remember going to the Zoo a lot with my father. Some of the trips were typical educational, fun trips that you would expect to take as a kid. Other trips were, slower, more methodical, and very photographic focused. Some of my favorite pictures that my father has taken, were taken during some of those trips.

These were memorable experiences from my childhood which taught me a lot about photography and business. I feel like composition, light and color come pretty easy to me (don’t get me wrong I still have A LOT to learn). I have had very few traditional lessons in these concepts. The only formal education I can remember is a graphics art class I took my senior year in high school 20+ years ago.

Then life happened. Photography and other forms of visual art fell to the side, and I pursued my career in public safety. I got married and started a family. For the most part, I thought that the “artistic” part of me was done, and for the most part it was.

Then something changed. The moon.

Okay; the moon didn’t actually change. But I remember driving home one night, looking up at the moon, and it just looked; cool. Once I got home I tried to capture a picture of what I saw. At the time I only had and iPhone 6. A remarkable phone and camera for its time, but it just couldn’t capture what I saw. I didn’t realize it at the time, but my artistic bug had been sparked.

Then the pandemic of 2020 happened. I was very fortunate to still be able to work during this time and that for the most part, my family made it though okay. I realized something during this time as well. That spark had become a fire. I realized that I wanted to capture moments in time for myself and others. We had been given a harsh reminder that time is short. It was time to embrace the little things again.

Near the end of 2021, my family and I planned a Disney World Trip. It was time to start enjoying life again. It was at this time that I pulled the trigger, and purchased my first DSLR (Nikon D5600). My father (also a Nikon shooter) gifted me a 50-200mm lens that he no longer used. With camera in hand we ventured out to Disney World. Although the overall trip was a little disappointing (that could be a whole other post) I was able to practice and get some pretty amazing shots. I was hooked.

The fire; became an inferno.

Shortly before my Disney World trip, I took the above photograph of the moon. I was practicing some astrophotography techniques and the moon looked; cool. I was able to capture the moon the way I saw it that night. I was proud of myself for pulling off that shot. I knew then that I would pursue this, whether as just a hobby, or a new full blown career.

That brings us to today. I have just launched this website, and I am looking toward the future with wonder and excitement. I am still working out my craft and any potential business direction this might go. But I can say that I am excited for what the future will bring. The sky, the moon and beyond awaits.