I'm a wedding photographer. You know that already. Here's what you don't know: I'm a dad to an amazing and spirited little girl, a husband to a smart and beautiful woman, a mountain bike racer, a triathlete, a backpacker, a lover of dance music, a political junkie, a daily reader of the New York Times, a crybaby at the opera, and a national park enthusiast who likes Corona with a lime and tequila without.
For those wondering about the nuts and bolts of my skill set, here's the scoop. I studied photojournalism at SF State and worked as a newspaper photographer for sixteen years. During that time I was published all over the place, including Time, SI, Geo, and US News and World Report, along with every major newspaper in the U.S. I won numerous state and national awards for my work and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. I shot my first wedding in 2001 and have been a full-time wedding and portrait photographer since 2012.
Can there be anything more joyous than to see the people you love laughing and having fun together?
I love going on family trips with them to beautiful locations here in the western U.S. and around the world. This photo is from Barcelona, Spain. We met Mary's Irish family there and had a wonderful week together laughing and having fun.
My favorite breed of dog. As they grow with you, they become a perfect sidekick. This was Kate, my persistent assistant, lover of fetch, and constant companion.
She joined me for many years as my newspaper photographer assistant. We had locations all over Central Oregon where we would stop and play fetch. I think she knew every single one and would get excited when we got near.
I have a BS in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara. Yep, I don't use it all the time.
Being able to take my kid out snorkeling in the warm water of Hawaii to show her underwater wonders is a joy. I really love shooting weddings in Hawaii and then going snorkeling.
I love being outdoors and going on road trips to the national parks. Wild places are my home.
This is why I give discounts for people getting married in them.
These guys were awesome! I really love having the chance to meet new people and especially people I might not get a chance to hang out with all the time. It's one of the joys of being a wedding photographer.
Every now and then I get a call to shoot a news story. It's what I trained for and worked at for 16 years. I'm pretty good at this kind of photography and doing it feeds my spirit. I can't figure out what's so much fun about doing the news. Is it the speed? The excitement? Or maybe just playing my dance music loud while driving to the event.