I'm a professional wedding photographer on Florida's beautiful Emerald Coast (Northwest Florida) commissioned to create fine art documentary work admired for its quality and beauty.

I live in Panama City Beach and photograph weddings principally in Bay and South Walton counties. Some of the locations and venues include Scenic 30A, Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Seaside, Destin, Seacreast, Watersound, Carillon, Sandestin, Watercolor, Edgewater, Hilton, Emerald Grande, and Shark's Tooth.

I think that weddings are one of the many social ceremonies that serve to create meaning in our lives--a couple bonded in love offer a public display of their commitment, and their guests serve as witnesses to the ceremony and participants in the celebration.

Since I’m a people-focused photographer delighted with organic moments, I embrace the photojournalist approach. But I prefer that my work transcend categories, so I rather think of myself as an artist with a camera who filters all his life experience through the lens to compose a poetic moment within a frame.

I enjoy getting to know the people that I photograph and present the following so you can know more about me:

I grew up on a family farm with 200 head of free-range cattle; played trombone in the high school band; worked as a farm hand, roofer, pipe fitter, and textile factory mechanic.

I served as a U.S. Navy Corpsman with the Marine Corps, earned a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and then a Master's in Information Studies.

I married a woman with a beautiful mind and heart who lets me ride fast sportbikes (with protective gear, of course) and supports my joy and passion for photography. I have the most fun playing outdoor sports and indoor pictionary. And I believe in hard work and the Golden Rule.

I’m influenced by a variety of art. I love the painter Caravaggio whose rich work exudes human drama. I love Italian Renaissance horse and rider sculptures and their bold expression of independent, adventurous spirit. I like many paintings of the Northern Renaissance for their colors and quiet mood. I like the Romantic period for their appreciation of nature and dedication to capturing the essence of natural light. My favorite literary works are Homer’s Illiad; Dante’s Divine Comedy; George Eliot’s Felix Holt, The Radical; Dostoevsky’s Brother’s Karamozov; Albert Camus’s The Plague; Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness; Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five; William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, and most any of Shakespeare’s plays.

As a photographer, I enjoy both teaching and learning. I’ve attended many excellent seminars and workshops but am mostly self-educated with a five-shelf personal library of books and DVDs. I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience, offering private workshops and portfolio critiques for other wedding photographers.

Peer Recognition

I'm an international award-winning photographer and alumnus of the Foundation Workshop, a rigorous training ground for mastering the art of wedding photojournalism. And I'm a member of the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers. As stated by the ISPWP, "when you hire an ISPWP Photographer, you are hiring a talented veteran with a track record, peer recognition, and a passion for creating heirloom images of your wedding."

Nativity

I was born in Gainesville, Florida. My maternal and paternal grandparents moved to Florida from Mayfield, Kentucky and Greensboro, Georgia respectively.

Longevity

One of my favorite activities as a kid was taking polaroids of our daredevil crop duster as he flew sideways between pine trees, did hammerhead stalls, and skimmed straight across the fields just feet from ground. I shot my first wedding in 1990. I've learned quite a bit since then.

Definition of a Good Picture

A good picture is captured in a camera by a photographer and may exhibit any of the following attributes: a good picture is properly exposed, reflects sophisticated composition, makes use of visual artistic devices, captures peak action, tells a story, evokes thought and feeling, creates meaning, and communicates timeless and universal themes. The more of these attributes captured in a photograph, the better it will be!

I think that life deserves good pictures. And I enjoy making them for clients.

Contact me today to determine availability and discuss how I can meet your unique needs.