My beliefs as a Creative Photographer with Over 30+ Years of Experience

Yes, 30+ years, I’ve been taking photos since I was 5. My parents bought me a little film camera like this one. And I’ve been taking photos ever since.

I believe the point of photography is for the viewer to remember. It's not always the client who is the viewer. 

It could be the child in the photo in 20 years or it could be the parents from the same image. 

It could be a moment or memory of something or somewhere relevant. It could be iconic or nostalgic. 

Sometimes even we don't know why we're taking the photo, the subject simply begs it of us and we obey. 

Photography isn't just for the paying client, it's for us as artists, as documenters, as visualizers.

It's a conversation. 

The photograph may be relevant to us, the photographer, but it becomes alive when we share it. 

If there was no one to show our photos to, the complexity and the conversation surrounding our images would be irrelevant. 

The sharing gives it context, meaning, I believe the act of sharing the photograph is just as important as the act of creating it. 

I also believe in editing my own images, not an assistant, not AI (although some features in Lightroom do use auto AI can’t win all the battles).

I believe the edits are the frosting on the photographic cake! 

I believe people should be themselves. 

Doing things they actually do. 

Wearing what they actually wear. 

Going places they actually go. 

• I believe in prompts over poses. 

• Film over filters.

• Real moments, memorized and romanticized.

• Authentic over aesthetic.

It doesn't mean it can't be both. It just means I will always include the messy and the vulnerable, if it means it was real. 

I believe over-planning can destroy the creative process. There needs to be a room for the unknown, for the mystery, for the chaos element/Chaos Effect. 

So often my favorites (and the clients favorites) are the last images from the session, the ones I almost didn't take, but said ‘hey let's try one more.’

‘Wanna do something weird?’ 

‘Can I try something new?’

‘Hold on, I wanna try something different!’

That's the Muse trying to sneak through and I welcome her. 🤍