warm

may your
snuggles be...

real

your affections
forever...

alive

and your love
unshakably...

2015

Building romance since...

As seen in...

welcome!

A soft fire crackles to the left, emanating a warmth perfectly contrasted by the cool cup of eggnog in my right hand. My grandmother sits feet from me, telling me once again of past adventures. I've heard most of them before, but that's okay. She likes to tell it and I like to listen. She's my Grandmom, and in that moment I couldn't imagine a more fruitful way to use my time. I listen because the words matter. Because love is often shown most strongly in the simple act of being there.

behind the lens

and so i listen...

For me, photography is about way more than just taking pictures! Where the cake decorator and florists drop off their work and are finished, photographers are there till the very end. I get to console the bride when things get behind, and I am there to laugh with the groom when he loses his socks. I am a photographer. Yes. But more than that, I am a participant in the beginnings of great couples, and that's why I do it all. Because at the end of each wedding, I know that my being there not only produced great work, but far more importantly, my presence added life to the day in a way that no one else could.

why weddings?

behind the lens

Hello friends! I'm Daniel, an eggnog lovin, swing dancin, book nerdin chocoholic living in southern Virginia. Welcome to my online home! Whether you're here for the photography or just perusing the web, I hope this is somewhere that gives you rest from the craziness of life.

My fAvorITes

MY GOALS

my reason for photography

MORE ABOUT ME

COMING SOON!

There are few things more satisfying than coming home to a large cup of eggnog.

EGGNOG

1/10

When my sister made me learn in college, I never saw how it could be useful. Now though, I can't see myself stopping.

2/10

Dancing

1/10

Tangled, Mulan, the new Beauty and the Beast. All masterpieces. All around great movies.

parks and rec

3/10

Half-cooked meat, seaweed, and a ton of rice. What could go wrong?!

sushi

4/10

The world's experts have placed all their knowledge inside billions of books. I will spend a lifetime of learning never really stops.

reading

5/10

Guys don't get a lot of options when it comes to dressing up.

scarves+watches

6/10

Because even though though there aren't any new episodes, Chip and Joanna will always live on as one of my dream-team couples.

fixer upper

7/10

When life gets so busy you can barely find you way, sometimes all that you need is to just get out and breathe some real air.

walks

8/10

Because every once in a while everyone needs to look nice.

ceramics

9/10

In life, you're either moving forward, or stepping a step back. I prefer to be one of the people who never stops growing.

candles

10/10

my top 10

01 Create my own eggnog from scratch.

02 Become a Physician Assistant.

Camp in a US national park.

03 Photograph a couple at a waterfall.

04 Travel Europe during the Fall.

05

06 Marry a lovely lady.

Build a campfire on my own.

07 Run a half marathon.

08 Read the entire Lord of the Rings series.

09 Get my work published in a magazine.

10 Go on a medical missions trip overseas.

11 Learn another language fluently.

12 Photograph a couple at the
Vesturhorn Mountain beach in Iceland.

13 Waltz correctly while wearing a suit.

14 goal #

“Daniel, Happy 20th Birthday!! I love you so very much and know that whatever you decide to do with your life, you will be amazing at it. I am so proud to call you my cousin, friend, and brother in Christ. I hope you have an amazing semester. I am always here for you if you ever want to talk or just want someone to do something crazy with. -Dalta”
Five months after receiving this note, I was sitting around a campfire enjoying life with a group of friends. We were eating s'mores, joking about life. My phone buzzed. and I looked down to see this message, "Dalta was in a car crash. She's gone." Gone. One of the most life altering texts I have ever received.

because we need never forget

Although I will probably never meet the photographer who captured this image of Dalta, I will forever be thankful for her. To me, it's more than a picture of a senior girl. This is my cousin, a woman who loved others so unbelievably well. Who encouraged me to pursue medicine when I didn't have the confidence to believe I could. Who always set me up on blind dates. Who was on track to become one of the best officers the air force had ever known. Who saw the person I would become far before I did. When I look at this image, I remember Dalta.
Here and now won't be around for long. Soon enough time will roll through and take the people we hold dear, leaving us with fading memories and whatever images we were lucky enough to grab along the way. Images of moments worth remembering. The tears. The smiles. The kisses. The love. We cherish these photographs so that when the time comes, although we may never meet the photographers, we need never forget the ones we love.

PC: The Blink Lady