Few things are as eagerly anticipated as a bride being walked by her father to her wedding vows. Nothing in the world can prepare a bride or her father for the feeling of butterflies in the tummy when it finally comes time to walk up to meet her groom and take her wedding vows. We love the long shot. Capturing the scene that’s “behind-the-scenes” we feel is one of the most important aspects of any...
When touching a giant can touch a child. Sometimes for a child, understanding the world comes more easily when they can see things larger than life. This boy was delighted when his father lifted him up to reach out and touch the nose of a larger-than-life bronze bust of President Abraham Lincoln at a dedication held in downtown Rockford, Illinois.
Beautiful images happen everywhere, all year ’round. We love making beautiful imagery, not matter where or when it may happen. Neither rain, or sleet nor snow will stop us from getting just the kind of portrait you’ll love for a lifetime. This mother & daughter braved the cold snow storm, and before they knew it, they were having the time of their lives. We had a blast making a magazine quality image too. Whether we’re shooting in...
When something old is always new. Image is everything, or so they say. Well, we believe that too when it comes to producing imagery for our clients. Your wedding photos should have a timeless beauty to them. They should have a look that stands the test of time. We don’t brag about the latest greatest camera or whiz-bang Photoshop filters around here. This image is a good example. It was made nearly a decade ago with my first digital SLR – one...
Liam was utterly adoring of his very proud mother during this shoot, and it really shows.
Everyone's life is a story. Let me help tell yours.
Because I don't just take pictures, I make memories.
I am all of those things, but the one that matters most here is photographer. My foundation in photography is solidly commercial, spending 20+ years delivering specific, detailed imagery for advertising and design professionals. After becoming a husband, and then a father, I naturally rediscovered my passion for portrait photography. More than ever, I enjoy delivering simple, clean, naturally beautiful images to consumer clients, whatever their needs and those clients benefit from my years of delivering magazine-quality imagery to demanding commercial clientele. Whether it be technical photo restoration, a wedding, or senior portraits, my goal is always the same – meet, then exceed, the client’s expectations.
A lot of people who call about wedding or portrait photography tend to ask me what my style is. It feels odd to me because it’s irrelevant. My job is to deliver the photo the client wants. Years of commercial work have drilled into me the desire to recreate the client’s vision as closely as possible. I like a challenge as well, so if a customer brings a photo to me and wants that style, that lighting, I’ll deliver. When you hire me, you are both the model and the art director.
Sometimes, though, the customer is unsure of what specific style they want. No problem. Mostly, we choose to start with clean, simple light that works for most people and then focus on creating a relaxed atmosphere which elicits natural expressions and photos reflective of people’s true personalities. Pushing people into “standard” photographic poses tends to produce imagery that looks robotic or wooden. Photo sessions shouldn’t feel like falling in line for military inspection. When people relax, their personalities shine through and the images become fun, beautiful.
If pressed, I will admit I love dramatic lighting. I’m very inspired by the lighting style in old film noir. I like the dark, dramatic Hollywood styles of yesteryear. I love to try new techniques. Whether it’s a single light raking over someone’s face or a super-bright light that produces a snow-white blizzard effect, it’s all rewarding to me. So, if you want something theatrical, striking, melodramatic, farcical, or imaginative, call me. Let’s talk.
As a commercial photographer, I bring my very best image making skills to each and every photo session I do for individuals, couples & families. Everyone wants and deserves magazine quality imagery, be it baby photos, wedding photos or a head shot for their business card. I approach each and every job as I would for any of my commercial advertising & design clients – as if the image I’m creating is the essence of everything the visual message needs to convey. When a mother brings her newborn baby to our studio, she’s hoping & dreaming I can capture everything she’s ever seen in that child of hers. When a couple hires me to photograph their wedding, they want me to tell their story the way they’ve seen it in their own hopes, dreams & aspirations. When a family asks me for a “family photo,” they want the image that captures their family best – serious, fun, quirky, or maybe just relaxed.
I’m constantly amazed and quite humbled by just how impressed my clients are with the results I give them. But I like people, and I love to see them relaxed, happy & confident that I can capture the image they’d been seeing in their mind’s eye all along. My lighting is simple, clean & classic. I rarely do much of anything in Photoshop to my photos, nor do I go in much for the latest gimmicks or styles making the rounds on Flickr this month. I start with getting to know my clients on a personal basis, and always try to discover just the look they’re hoping I can deliver. Once I can envision my client’s desired image, getting it captured in camera simply becomes a technicality.
I’d love to tell you that “I rock, I’m so cool, or my photography’s so cutting edge,” but I won’t because it’s just not true. I don’t use the latest-greatest cameras. I don’t use any whiz-bang Photoshop filters. I don’t take 1000s of shots in the hopes that 10 will turn out. Instead, it’s not uncommon for me to take 150 shots and have my clients tell me they don’t know which ones they love most – that they want them all.
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