It Just Takes One

Making connections is what photography is all about (at least mine). My wife works part time for the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, so when she approached me with an idea for a project to promote the BGC, I jumped at the chance. They were looking to produce a short piece to use as a tool to promote the club and to help develop a relationship with potential donors and sponsors. I do mostly still photography, so I suggested we bring in the help of my friends at Monarch Media here in Bloomington to take the idea and run with it.

I've worked with John, TJ, and Luke on many projects in the past and thought their creative vision would work well for this project. So over the last couple of months they developed an idea, storyboard, script, and overall scope of the project and presented it to the club. In January we shot the piece at the club in Bloomington, a wonderfully historic building located near the square. I went along to help with developing some shots and to shoot still images during the day.

I'm very pleased with the video work they did and I wanted to share that piece with you here. Click this link if you would like to Donate to the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, or call 812.332.5311 to find out other ways you can help!

Boys & Girls Club "It Just Takes One" from Monarch Media Studios on Vimeo.

Here are some of the stills I shot during the day:

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What I Bring to the Party

I am the son of an air traffic controller and a stay-at-home mom. My parents represented balance to me...Dad was from the deep south (Alabama), and my Mom was from Chicago. My dad was the consumate southern gentleman and mom liked to have fun. He didn't go to college. She graduated with a degree in English and loved Shakespeare. He built their house with his own hands. She learned to drive in her 40's. Both of them loved music.

And so do I. After studying music at the University of Wisconsin I moved to Los Angeles with the intention of pursuing a career in music recording and production. What followed was over twenty years working with some of the most generous, hard-working, talented people I could have imagined. I learned about the "art" of music....arrangement, tone, contrast, melody, harmony, balance. I also learned how to make artists feel comfortable in the studio. More than anything I wanted the people I worked with to be successful and to provide an experience that would allow them to express themselves genuinely...and with emotion.

My experience included music albums, movies, and live television. It's actually my TV work that directly affects how I approach photographing a wedding, but more about that in a minute.

After my wife and I met in Nashville, Tennessee, we moved to Chicago for a job offer she received. I began working with Chicago Public Radio in the windy city, working alongside some of the best journalists in the country. It was during that time I started to learn the importance of a well-crafted story.

When our son was born, we decided to move back to my wife's hometown of Bloomington, Indiana to be closer to family. I began looking for a way to continue to be creative and to help people. As is the case with many professional photographers, I had "taken pictures" my entire life but hadn't considered it as a potential profession.

It is a perfect fit for me. In fact, I was surprised at how much of the art of music translates directly to the art of photography. As I mentioned above...composition, contrast, tone, mood, and emotion...all can be present in a photograph. I want to create pictures that you can feel and that tell a compelling story.

But I also want to help make your wedding day successful. You may not have given it much thought but your wedding day is truly a "live" event. You have hair and makeup to do, lines to remember, and your marks to hit on the stage. Some couples don't realize that it's the wedding photographer that pretty much controls the pace of the day. I want to make sure you are walking down the aisle at the appointed time!

Above all I want the day to be fun and relaxed...while capturing the beautiful moments and the heartfelt emotions along the way.

So I bring an experience a little different from other photographers you might talk to. I didn't study art in college (or photography for that matter). I did, however, develop an artistic touch in a different medium...music. I enjoy applying what I've learned to my passion for the photograph...a strong attention to detail...a positive connection with my clients...and an appreciation for the story of your day...all the while making sure that your wedding performance comes off without a hitch. Flawlessly. Beautifully. With love, passion, and emotion.

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