Many photographers and photography studios define themselves by their subject matter – they are portrait studios or they specialize in weddings or they prefer to work with commercial clients.

I prefer to take a different approach. I work on a wide array of projects and subject matter because I really, truly enjoy each. As I'm fond of telling people, in a typical week I might go from taking pictures of a baby for a family one day to shooting exteriors of a building for a commercial client the next and then finish it off by spending a whole day documenting a couple's wedding.

Weddings

There is, of course, a cottage industry built around how miserable weddings can be and the damage it does to the psyches of those involved (watch one episode of Bridezillas and you'll see what I mean). It's so prevalent that people are frequently surprised if not amazed when I tell them that, yes, I truly love working on weddings.

On a typical wedding day I get to make portraits of the bride and groom and their friends and families, make still life pictures of the little things that help make the day unique like the bouquets, invitations, rings and cake, play tour guide and direct the wedding party to some of the most picturesque spots in the Greater Kansas City area (as well as Topeka, Lawrence, Columbia, St. Louis, and Block Island, RI), watch as a flower girl goes from the terror of realizing she has to walk in front of 250 people to the joy of realizing she gets to strut in front of 250 people, and indulge my inner photojournalist by capturing the fleeting moments and emotions that happen throughout the day.

Take that and combine it with the fact that I get to be with two people that through the planning process I've become very close with and their closest friends and family on one of the happiest and most important days of their lives and in my mind you've got yourself a great Saturday, Friday, or Sunday.

Portraits

One of my great passions and great joys is creating portraits of babies, kids, high school seniors, and families. I take great pride in the fact that my work is one of the key documents in a family's history and that it will be proudly displayed on the walls of my clients and their families for years, decades, and generations to come. I also take great pride in the fact that when we're done with the session one of the most common comments people make – and usually not without a hint of surprise – is that it was actually fun to do.

Corporate

Corporate work, whether it's helping an executive or entrepreneur establish his or her personal brand or documenting an awards ceremony, trade show, or charitable event, is some of the most satisfying work that I do. It's very gratifying to me when, for instance, a bank president comes to me for a headshot and starts the session by telling me that he or she doesn't take good pictures and ends the session and the viewing of the proofs by telling me that they can't believe I made them look that good (the dirty little secret being that they did a lot of the work too…).

Working on a large scale event with an organization is equally gratifying but for different reasons – anyone who has ever been involved in planning an event knows the kind of work that goes into making every detail perfect. Knowing that my pictures will document those details, commemorate the honorees, or be used to thank those who so generously donated to a worthy cause is a reward in and of itself.

Architectural

Buildings have a tendency to sit still. Which is why after working (and living) with young children it can be a refreshing change of pace to work on an Architectural project. The simple fact that a building isn't going anywhere allows me to flex a different set of creative muscles and to really absorb myself in the structure to ensure that the pictures that I take capture it in the best possible light both literally and figuratively and allow the creative directors, leasing agents, and property owners who require these services to achieve the goal that they set out to accomplish in the first place: to document the building process, to create marketing materials for the property, or to sell it outright.

Charitable Events

I never turn down the opportunity to use my time and talents to the benefit of a worthy charity. Through my work with charities as diverse as the Good Shepherd Manor, Hope House, the Autism Alliance of Kansas City, the Midwest Ear Institute, the Kiwanis Club, and a number of schools, charities, and not-for-profit organizations I've had the satisfaction of giving back to the community that has given so much to me and the pleasure of working with the outstanding individuals that make those organizations go on a day to day basis.

Whether you're planning a wedding, in need of portraits of the kids or family, updating your image on your website, planning an event, selling, leasing, or marketing a building, or working with a charity, I enjoy my work and excel at it because I'm passionate about photography and about the experiences that it allows me to be a part of.