Every story has a beginning, here's mine. In 2003, I joined the United States Navy as a Photographer's Mate in search of adventure and the draw of learning to tell a story through photographs. While being trained in old-school film and photojournalism, I fell for the greatest story yet—capturing love.

That was fifteen years, college, and countless weddings and portrait sessions ago. A dream that stared with the desire to capture a story, is now a business called Cherrybrook Photography.

I'm an eternal student of learning things that can help make the experience even better for my clients. Always learning, striving for more while appreciating the small, embracing the adventure, and always smiling—I'm thrilled to be part of a story. I hope to hear about yours.

Why the name? It was my fourth deployment in route to Japan deep in the bottom of the aircraft carrier named USS George Washington (CVN-73). Months into the deployment, in coveralls and surrounded by the smell of jet fuel, we dreamed to keep from going crazy. One day my best friend Bobby asked me what I was going to do when I got out and I told him I didn't know, "…but I want it to be something that makes people smile. Something that reminds them how much they're loved, of happy times in their lives, and places that bring a smile to their face." He told me of a time in his life that he lived on Cherrybrook Lane. I hardly heard what he said because I was so amazed by how his face lit up, eyes sparkled, and voice changed to a sunny tone. Listening to him, I realized that was it. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to produce tangible memories for people that made them smile and took them to a beautiful place in their life. Originally thinking I wanted to capture important events and historical milestones through photographs, I was partially right. I just wanted to capture it for an individual, not a society. Later that night he printed me a business card with the name and told me now I had to do it. I keep the name so I never forget the "why" behind what I do.

Weddings are such an important event in a person's life. I want my client to be relaxed and enjoy the excitement from the first day of the photography experience. From the booking, to the session, and then delivery of the wedding images, I like the experience to be tailored to the client and revolve around their desires. I don't say, "smile" during our sessions, I want to learn about them so instead I can bring up topics that make them laugh and capture natural smiles. The first date, a funny story about the engagement, how they met and their dreams for the future, those are the things we talk about at sessions. Things that produce natural smiles and capture a story of love. After all, there's always a story.