ON PHOTOGRAPHY

“Photography is the closest thing we have to a time machine. It’s the only way to take a moment that would otherwise be lost to the grips of Father Time and keep it forever, even after our memories fade and fail us. It’s art + science. It’s magic.”

Over a decade ago, I got fed up with my Big Law job and decided to turn my hobby into a career. I suppose this is where I tell you about how I don’t really have many photos from my own childhood, or that I was 14 when I saw a picture of myself as a baby for the first time. I could also tell you about how desperately I fell in love with photography when I was kinda forced into taking it because I registered late for high school and it was the only elective still open for freshmen. That was back in the 90s when Britney ruled the headlines. Some things never change, amiright?

I bought my first digital camera in 2009 as a second year law student (aka a 2L). It gave me a reprieve from the freezing cold, heartless library and ceaseless studying. I taught myself how to use it, and how to use Lightroom and Photoshop, because it was getting harder and harder to find darkrooms where I could develop my own film. With law school nearly all-consuming, I also wanted the pleasure of instant gratification that digital granted. That camera joined me on a trip to Italy that fall while my 35mm Minolta stayed behind. It was a conscious choice. I’d spent over 10 years with film photography and now wanted to get a handle on digital.

My first opportunity to shoot a real gig for someone else came in the fall of 2011. An old friend from college was getting married and she asked if I’d shoot her wedding. I immediately said yes, even though I’d never shot a wedding before. I think I’d only attended maybe 2 or 3 at that point in life. But she recognized something in me and trusted me, and we both were in love with the resulting images.

Two months later, I left my law firm job behind and began shooting full-time. I’ve since shot well over 100 weddings solo (I don’t typically use second shooters), as well as countless family, engagement, portrait, food, and branding shoots in the decade that has passed. I love the freedom my job provides, the creative inspiration my clients bring, and most importantly, I love that I get to steal moments from Father Time and preserve them for others to cherish forever. My camera is like a magic time machine. Every image I capture with it is a moment we can never get back, except through photos. Is it any wonder why I’m still obsess with photography nearly 30 years after accidentally discovering it?