Who I am.

"There are three types of people in this world. People who make things happen, people who let things happen, and those who wonder what the fuck happened." -- Jared Polin

I think this pretty much sums me up. My name is Daniel, I am a photographer, amongst other things. This is my page, where you can find out what I'm about, what I use, some samples of my best work, and other projects I'm working on. ugh. I hate talking about myself.

I have this dream, that one day I will not be bound by the common 9-5 job that I currently do. I aspire to make my photography the way I pay my bills. to be completely honest, I would rather have my camera in my hand, my eye through the viewfinder than anything else. Behind my camera is my happy place, and when your job makes you happy, then it's not really a job.

My philosophy

I have a few principles that I run my business on, and really my entire life:

1) Photography should be accessible. -- I believe everyone should have access to photos of their life, their families life, and all of the moments in time in between. One of my biggest regrets, as a father, is that I simply don't have enough photos of my kids. one of the biggest barriers is cost, good photos are expensive. my mission has been to bring more photos to more of the population, who struggle to pay their bills. of course, I have my own bills and stuff, but I also realize that a few pictures does not take me long to shoot and edit, and capturing someone's family at that point can really brighten up their lives. I regularly shoot for a discount, or in exchange for a hot meal, or things of that nature, because I want that family to remember their daughter's 5th birthday forever.

2) Photography shouldn't be exclusive. -- I will always help a fellow photographer on their journey, and I would never charge for my advice. I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the help of other people, who I will mention later. Their kindness and generosity got me to where I am, and it's my intent to pay it forward any way I can.

3) Photography is for everyone. -- This holds true on both sides of the camera. As a photographer, and a disabled one at that, I wouldn't have the means to express my creative side without photography. I used to draw, and after an incident, I can no longer draw, but photography still allows me to create art, even with my disability. On the opposite side, I recognize the prejudice people face by other photographers who won't shoot for them based on race, religion, sexual preference, or other silly reasons. I refuse to be part of that trend, and I will gladly shoot anyone, of any religion, and of any sexual preference. everyone deserves to have quality photos.

special thanks

This is where my shoutouts go, I would be nowhere near where I am in life without these important people, and if you read this, I hope you realize exactly what your contributions mean to me. <3

My wonderful deeeeelightful wife, Ashlee, you're my rock, and you push me out of my comfort zone to try and do everything. Even when I have stupid ideas, you're the first to say "it's not that dumb" or "you're an idiot." for this I must thank you, for not only pushing me to take photos, but prevent me from making a complete ass of myself. Plus, you also gave me 3 cute kids, and put up with my crap, even when you don't want to.

My super mother in law, Dallas. She believed in me, my abilities, and saw the potential at a time that even I wasn't 100% sure I was doing the right things. she got me my professional camera, laid down that financial investment in me and never looked back. without her, I'd still be a hobbyist. She got me the closest I've ever been to achieving my goals.

My mentor Tammy. she is bar-none the most kind and giving woman I have ever met. she runs her own photography business, 1 Breath Photography, who gifts most of her work, but also works with several charities to capture these events. She's also disabled on top of all this, and still works harder than most people. she's also taken the time to fix all my issues I had before, and teach me as much as possible in the meantime (hey look, I can shoot focused pictures now!). She's also passed my name on to many people, to get me work and get me exposure in the community.