Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life. You want the day to go smoothly! It’s important that you gather ideas and figure out a game plan for getting all the to-dos taken care of. It will require some effort on your part but it’ll be well worth it once the day arrives and you can relax and have some fun. First, learn some tips on how to create your dream wedding.  Get Organized & Determine Your Budget You’re going to want to make sure you are well-organized as you work on planning your dream wedding. Come up with a to-do list and make sure you lay out a timeline for w ..read more

Some people love having a big wedding that includes all of their friends, family members, coworkers, and acquaintances. But that type of wedding isn’t right for everyone. Some people shy away from being the center of attention, and in those circumstances, having 100+ people staring at them just isn’t their idea of a good time. The good news is that you don’t need to have an extravagant wedding. Your wedding is all about you, so if you’d prefer to just have a few people there, then you can. I’ve worked weddings with guest counts that range from 5 to 500, and here’s a few of the lessons I’ve lea ..read more

Photographs are a great way to store unforgettable moments and take a trip down memory lane. However, when the ones printed on paper become old, it is tempting to throw them away, especially in a world dominated by digital images. Although it is easier to organize, store, and share digital photos, hardcopy snapshots are links to your history and heritage and deserve to be preserved in the right way. Moreover, considering that a single person will have 7 - 8 albums in their lifetime, it is even more important to ensure that these images stand the test of time. Here are some ideas to safeguard ..read more

I started investing time and energy into music when I was young and it significantly impacted my life. I wouldn’t be a photographer today if it weren’t for me going to local shows in my teen years and adventuring into concert photography. Music is an international language, capable of transcending cultures, communicating emotions and stimulating minds. For children specifically, it can serve as a powerful educational tool beyond simply entertainment.  Harborlights, band in Atlanta (2020) The Cognitive Symphony There's a mountain of evidence showing how powerful music is for kids' brains ..read more

Since becoming a photographer, every vacation of mine is now delightfully plagued with a lot of photo & video gear. It’s taken me a few trips to nail a good workflow - but here’s some of my advice on taking better vacation photos. Photo by Andre Furtado Tip #1. Pack What You Need It may take you a few trips to figure out your balance, but I find less is more. I try to pack my camera gear into easily accessible parts of my luggage, and I try not to bring all my gear for every trip. I’ve learned my A7RIV makes for a good trip camera, and recently just got a single lens that has a bigger foc ..read more

The holiday season is a time of togetherness and fun. It can also be a headache if you don’t have a game plan. From Thanksgiving to New Year's, it feels like a nonstop roller coaster of family, food, and stress.  With careful planning, you can enjoy an easy and stress-free holiday season. Here are a few ways to prepare for the holiday season. Holiday Preparedness Before you start holiday planning, you need to make a clear and realistic budget. Figure out how much you're willing to spend on gifts, decor, food, and travel expenses. Once you have your budget, start creating a to-do list for ..read more

I’ve been thinking a long time about boycotting Amazon. After converting to being vegan, trying to be as eco-friendly, pro-worker, and trying to locally source as much of my food, materials, and products as possible, it made sense - I should not be using Amazon. Ever. I admit, the absurdly good deals, the two day shipping, the wide variety of… literally everything - it made Amazon appealing for years. I had Prime everything, the whole nine yards. I knew they had some bad business practices, I knew Jeff Bezos had WAY too much money, but I kept finding reasons to keep buying on Amazon. As time w ..read more

I’ve been splitting my time in many worlds my whole life. I like having a lot going on. Earlier this year, I was offered a fantastic job opportunity that I couldn’t turn down. I have been working there for a few months, and it’s offered me a lot of stability that being a photographer didn’t offer me. I love photography and I love working with my clients. It can be very hard to answer emails, try to get to messages, call people back, follow up and book travel plans when I am already working 40 hours a week as a leader at another job. For these reasons, I am making the very hard decision that I ..read more

A few months ago, on their tour with I, The Breather, I got to catch up with long-time colleague John Cody Halstead. I pitched him the idea I’ve had for this series, and he was down to do an interview. I am thankful for his time. He’s now permanently embedded in the pages of my film archives, and I want to share some of his words and thoughts. John Halstead at the Masquerade on Expired Portra 800. The Joy of Gaming, Rock & Roll, and Perseverance with John Halstead My Name is John Halstead, I’m the bassist of Execution Day, and Sonic The Hedgehog enthusiast.   Give me a few records th ..read more

According to EndHomelessness.org, there are approximately 550,000 people experiencing homelessness in the US today. Many charities have been started to attempt to end or lower homelessness, yet since 2013 the number has stayed more or less the same. Helping the unhoused can be done in more ways than just donating money to big charities. Oftentimes that money won’t go directly to helping the unhoused like you want it to because these charities have overheads to cover and staff to pay, etc. Instead, here are ways that you can ensure that you’re really helping the unhoused, and above all, being ..read more