Greetings, while I wasn’t born with a camera in my hands, I have enjoyed photography for most of my life. My first camera was my dad’s Brownie that I first started using at age 7. High school opened my eyes to both the fine art of photography and the profession of photography. I actaully photographed my first wedding at age 15 and now, 25 years later, I am still documenting events and loving every minute of it. I do credit my high school teachers for developing my interest in art and photography. This early exposure to fine art photography had a great impact on the development of my current photograhic style.
I remember seeing street photographs of such greats as Eugene Atget, Walker Evans and Henri Cartier-Bresson and being completely enamored by the naturalness and beauty of their images. It was that creative reality that I wanted to bring to my images. What I learned from these masters is that my greatest asset as a photographer is not my camera but my creative vision, patience, intuition and ability to quietly observe and quickly respond. Cartier-Bresson called it ‘the decisive moment’ which for me is that precise instant when I as a photographer am completely in tune with my subject and surroundings, when I can anticipate what is about to happen yet not impose myself on it, then, without thinking, but instead feeling, know the exact time to release the shutter to preserve that one moment forever.
Over the years I have been commissioned to photograph over 700 weddings as well as many other social and corporate functions. I have had the honor to photograph such political and business leaders as President Bill Clinton, General Electric CEO Jeff Imelt, Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl, Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Milwaukee Mayors John Norquist and Tom Barrett, radio personality Don Imus and ABC’s Cokie Roberts. I received my Bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee in 1993 and will complete my Masters in Liberal Studies from UWM in 2007. I have also studied with some of the world’s most well known wedding photographers and regularly read various trade journals to keep up with the latest trends and techniques.
I am dedicated to bringing the beauty and benefits of fine art wedding photojournalism to engaged couples. I am very happy to say that I truly love what I do and the thought that my images are what will keep the memories of so many couples’ wedding day alive is very heart warming.
