I'm an experienced professional wedding and portrait photographer working in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and have also provided coverage for weddings nationwide. It's been a blessing to have my clients regard my wedding photography and portrait photography so highly, and an honor to enjoy the respect of my fellow professional photographers.
When I'm photographing portraits I try not to focus only on what I can see through the lens. Instead, I'm also looking for what is just beneath the surface of my subject - that unique rhythm and spark that is in all of us. Finding that connection between a person and their environment inspires the feeling and emotion that I try to bring out in my work. I work with my subjects to bring out that unique essence and vital quality that speaks to everyone.
There's an enjoyable tension you feel when you shoot portraits. It's because I?m giving my senior and bridal portrait subjects lot's of attention, and they instinctively know that I?m going to make them look great. It's important for me not to separate a person's humanness from my photography. A lot of photographers will hold back in these situations. When you do a portrait, you have to meet the person where they are, with empathy and understanding and my job is to use light and composition to bring out the beauty and life with them.
It's the little details I love. The details seem to tell a story and bring out those qualities that make every wedding or engagement shoot different. I'm always looking for those natural, spontaneous moments that capture the personalities of the bride and groom. This organic natural approach to capturing an image when blended with a mix of creative formal portraits results in a collection of photographs and memories that is as unique as the couple itself.