" I love that strangers soon become people that I call friends and that they're willing to share their lives with us"
I didn’t ever think of myself as a photographer, much more a Central Wisconsin wedding photographer.
I grew up in the Colorado Rockies where the winters were spent shoveling snow and skiing down the slopes of mountain resorts. In the summer we rafted down the South Plate river and hiked around our mountain property. My family's log cabin was built in the 1890's and we heated our house with wood. To this day, whenever I smell a campfire, it doesn't make me think of camping, but rather of home. One summer day we had a bear break in through the kitchen window because he smelled our bacon grease. Needless to say, we got two giant guard dogs after that- fluffy, white Great Pyrenees.
Left: Little Bryan riding Hillary the goat. Right: A snowy snapshot of Bry and Buster on their McCracken Rocky Mountain homestead
It was in Colorado Springs, Colorado where I met Olivia and began helping her with weddings throughout our dating relationship. I found it fascinating the way she saw things differently and in a way I'd never seen before. She saw every detail and every moment as an opportunity to capture. As my relationship with Olivia grew, so did my fascination of angles, lighting, and how to capture fleeting moments. By the time we married, I was hooked on weddings. Here's why: The way she photographs events is infectious and I wanted to capture moments just like that.
The day I realized that I was actually a photographer was late one night after Olivia and I had just finished a wedding. As we were driving away, Olivia was looking through some of the shots I had taken that day, and she turned to me and said "you know if I was ever unable to be there for a wedding, you could totally do this on your own." I don't think I've ever experienced that kind of affirmation before in my life. That has given me the confidence to know that I add value to our clients and it's meaningful, not just supplemental.
My "why" is that I take trust seriously. Our clients trust us, and I don't take that lightly. Olivia and I are there for the most important moments. I love that brides and grooms appreciate our vision and trust that when we tell them to "snuggle up, close your eyes, take a breath.....and tell us about the first time Clyde farted in front of you"...that it's for a reason (aka an epic-ly raw and laughter-filled photo). I love that strangers soon become people that I call friends and that they're willing to share their lives with us (and that we continue that even after the wedding- sometimes that looks like them bringing a La Croix in their purse for us) at their engagements session ;)
- Bryan