Marc & Amanda Davis

in

Right now I'm sitting at my desk with the morning coffee sniffling every 2-4 seconds. It's day three of a blooming Autumn cold — better this week than next I keep telling myself. Between the heavy amounts of sleep and sneezes I've been getting caught up on most of my work from the last few weeks. I think it's time to finally share some of my favorite photos from the year. 

"It all seems so very arbitrary. I applied for a job at this company because they were hiring. I took a desk at the back because it was empty. But, no matter how you get there or where you end up, human beings have this miraculous gift to make that place home."

Creed Bratton's last line in the Office finale is the chord that struck loudest with me — isn't life so very arbitrary? It's funny how you can never connect the dots looking forward. These dots began to form almost 3 years ago when Into the Wild played a show at Main Street Bar & Grill (RIP) with this band called At Anchor, with Caleb, Marc, and other fine dudes I'd get to know over the coming years. 

As time went on, it wasn't long until I heard the news that Marc & Amanda had been engaged; soon after they had reached out to inquire about wedding and engagement photos. On a rainy fall morning we met at a diner to discuss details: it was then they surprised me with offering to join them in their wedding adventure in Las Vegas. Initially I was shocked & excited: my first destination wedding with people that weren't complete strangers in a city gleaming with lights sounded almost too good to be true. We wrote the dates, settled on details, and I was nearly finished with my third cup of coffee before it settled in just how awesome this event was about to be. 

Of course when we landed in Vegas it was record-high temperatures: this was peak summer weather for me. The air was dry and hot, and the wind was like a heater on your face. It was a sweaty affair. It was a fun, exhausting, and truly memorable few days in Vegas for what I considered to be "work". This is what I truly love most about my job, 95% of the time it never feels like work. I get to make lifelong memories with people doing what I love. 

Anyways, here's some photos. 

Ashley & Travis

in

This summer has flown by. Summers seem to get shorter and shorter as I get older, but, man, this one has seriously been gone in the blink of an eye. My head is still stuck in April/May in terms of getting things on track. Lots of things happening. 

Let's rewind a bit back to June to Ashley & Travis's wedding: a lovely, quiet ceremony in the balmy summer heat in Northwest Ohio. The morning of I had just flown back in from Las Vegas, red-eyed and beaten from the tireless flight; I managed a quick 2-3 hour nap before heading to the Koelsch Farm Homestead Cottage, located in my hometown. Everything seemed to happen in a flash: I arrived to find the girls getting ready, so I sprang to action to capture the fleeting moments, and soon later we were outside where guests were making last-minute arrivals and the chariot awaited. Luckily we didn't have far to go — maybe 200 yards away from the cottage was a beautifully arranged outdoor venue with the quaint, rustic look that might come straight from Schrute Farms. The ceremony commenced, tears were wept, and promises kept. 

But enough talk, here's what you really came to see. 

 

Weitzel Wedding Reception

in

As I prepare to get caught up on work before I leave for a wedding in Las Vegas tomorrow, I wanted to share my favorites from my first wedding of this year. 

Last summer, an old friend from high school, Sherrii, asked if I would be willing to photograph her wedding reception. A family would be taking photographs at the ceremony, but Sherrii wanted her relative to be able to hang out & relax during the reception. I was eager to accept, of course. 

There are a handful of people from high school that I still stay in direct contact with, mainly the close friends. The rest simply live on Facebook for me to peruse every time they show up on my feed. Sherrii and her group of friends in particular I have always thought to be some of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever known. They are down to earth, respectful, and their personalities are as real as the sky is blue. Having known them all for many years & dealing with such a great group truly made this “job” exceptionally easy and fun. 

Ethan & Jessica Engagement

in

Back in March I received a notification on my phone: a Facebook message from an old acquaintance. Ethan had reached out to me interested in my wedding photography services: I eagerly messaged him back, congratulating him on the news of his recent engagement. I hadn’t spoken to Ethan in ages; Ethan being a senior when I was a freshman back in high school left a bit of an age gap in communication. We shared a mutual interest in skateboarding — I was always jealous of his natural talents both as a skateboarder and a film-maker; his creations had inspired me to pick up a video camera and start recording my friends skateboarding (which eventually turned to photography, so I guess Ethan is partially responsible for my love of the media). Ethan’s younger brother Graham was just a year younger than I, he asked me to do his senior portraits years ago. That was about the last I heard from his family other than the frequent Facebook quips from their father Jeff. 

 

So when Ethan inquired about my services, I was adamant on closing the deal. Not only was it another opportunity to shoot a wedding, but it was an extra special gig to me. After catching up, I’m happy to share that I’ll be working with Ethan & Jessica in July in Chicago! It shall be grand. And now for some favorites from our recent engagement shoot.

Silver Age & Friends @ Frankie's 3-18-2017

in ,

My friends in Silver Age held (and headlined) a show at Frankie's a week or so ago. This amazingly talented group of youngins are going places, I promise you. Here's some favorites. 

Chris Kerekes

Wild Nights

Gold Route

Castle No Kings

Silver Age