I believe that every image with staying power must tell a story, leave a viewer in awe aesthetically, and possess a distinct mood/emotion under the surface. Photographers shouldn’t apologize for capturing and publishing images that span the gamut of human emotion; rather, we should constantly seek out those experiences in an effort to seek meaning behind the human condition.
The Spark
Born in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas, I grew up on 50 acres of wooded farmland with more inspirational subject matter than I knew what to do with. Creativity comes naturally in a place like that and one birthday gift in junior high changed it all: a film camera. My focus throughout school remained instrumental & vocal music, but visual art wove into my human experience as a young person as I worked to sharpen my voice.
Once I moved to Russellville to complete my undergraduate degree at Arkansas Tech University, that creative spark ignited brighter with new subject matter. Sooner rather than later, I met other creatives my age, and we photographed the various abandoned places and gritty textures of downtown and one another. This was before the time of social media as we know it today - I maintained a blog of my favorites and nerded out designing that online presence to suit my evolving tastes. Eventually, I began getting commissioned for photography work, mostly portraiture. Once the commissions started coming in, I felt the pressure of needing better equipment.
While balancing a full class load, I also worked as an auto technician, slinging tires and changing oil. When I received my first bonus from that job, I invested 100% of it into buying the best digital camera that I could afford. I’ve carried that philosophy forward into everything I do: put back into yourself what you want to get out. I continued shooting throughout undergrad with all of my gigs coming from word-of-mouth.
Pixel Pushing & The Economic Shift
After obtaining my bachelor's degree in graphic design with a minor in business, I worked as a graphic artist by day and on the weekends, fully committed to wedding/portrait photography. When the economy took a downturn and began to affect Arkansas in early 2010, my day job laid me off and I fully committed to my photography work. My alma mater noticed me in the Fall of 2010 and hired me as a graduate assistant photographer while working on my master's degree in multimedia.
I guess they enjoyed my work and vision because they hired me full-time in January 2012, and I documented the history of the university for the next decade. Working as the Director of Photography at ATU allowed me to expand my photographic nimbleness. After documenting a basketball game on a Thursday night, I could wake up to a studio portrait of a board member on Friday. This adaptability resulted in a widespread body of work and expertise in many facets of photography - I've never ceased wanting to excel at this craft.
In the Spring of 2021, an opportunity emerged at a non-profit that I'd been a member of since 2014: the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). It was an opportunity that I couldn't pass up.
Currently
I am a proud member of the IMBA team - my role as Content Marketing Manager allows me to marry the skills that I've honed since pre-undergrad: design, community-based marketing strategies, photography, storytelling, and infusing heart into every communication.
Over the last few years, I've had the ability to wear the hat of national conference speaker, chair of a national design show, feature writer for a variety of regional and national publications, digital strategist for various clients, and, occasionally dusting off my skills as a graphic designer.
And when there’s not a camera in my hand or a message to craft for IMBA, I'm likely deep in the woods out of cell service. I'm currently open to collaborations and commissions.
Partial Client list:
The Bitter Southerner, Freehub Magazine, Arkansas Tech University, International Mountain Bicycling Association, National Park Service, Arkansas Life, Climbing Magazine, Mountain Flyer Magazine, The Drake, Bentonville Visitor & Convention Bureau, Arkansas Business, Point Remove Brewing Company, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, TEDx, Crow/Tolm Construction, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, About the River Valley Magazine, The Sells Agency, Russellville Advertising & Promotion, Clarksville Tourism, 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, Michael Cooper Dentistry