"To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."
Mary Oliver
The Beginning
I am not the best fit for everyone. That is normal. If you have a hard time letting go of control, and struggle with trust, we might not be the best fit. I work best with couples that are looking to create a feeling, or capture an experience. I am not super into posing my couples, however, if the moment calls for that, I can. I am looking to be documentary and in the moment. I don't want to force anything. I want to observe, react, and document. I want to make work that doesn't feel like a photoshoot, but feels like the moment did.
Format
I shoot with several different cameras. First the Canon R6 (digital), Canon EOS 3 (35mm film), the Mamiya 645 (120 film), and sometimes a few other point and shoot 35mm cameras. Throughout the day I am switching between digital and film mediums as I see fit. What does this mean? That means there are no guarantees, no shot lists, just moments passing and us experiencing them. We are making art, in real time.
Relationships
Support, kindness, curiosity, preparation, vision. These are the cornerstones to how I work with my couples. We are creating a relationship, not an exchange. I want to be relational. I hope that I create space for my clients to be people first, clients second.
Feeling
Are you scared? Are you nervous, but in the excited giddy way? Are you testing the waters? Good. I'm not afraid of feelings. There are so many dynamics that go into a single random day, so imagine what goes into "one of the most important days of your life." There is so pressure, nerves, joy, relief, sadness, and more. You don't stop being a human on this day. Everything is heightened, and I get to capture it all. This isn't a performance, but your life is on display. I want to tell the truth, see in, and reflect.
Focus
In my early days as a photographer I didn't feel like I could "miss" anything. Now things are a little different for me. There has been so much pressure on photographers to not miss a single moment, I am telling you now, that is impossible. If you are looking for someone who won't miss anything, keep looking. I am not your person. I document the way I document. I look for light, listen for clinking glasses and laughter, and try my best to make relationships with people in front of the camera. There are moments that I am switching between cameras and miss something. The art of what I do is release the things I miss, and enjoy the bits and pieces I catch. My hope is that there would be more of the latter.
