This is where I'm supposed to tell you something about me. I'm supposed to talk about how I love to capture your precious moments and create lasting memories. Let's skip that part, since it's what every photographer says. It's cliché.

Instead, let me tell you about my style and approach to photography, which is much more important to you.

I'm relaxed and easy going. I tend to put people at ease. I like to make people laugh. I'm an observer of people and interaction. All of that results in more relaxed, natural, genuine expressions from those I photograph. Very few people are truly comfortable having a camera pointed at them, and I've come to realize that the more I can connect with people, the better they look in the pictures.

If you had to categorize my preferred style, it would be considered "photojournalistic." I gravitate to the candid over the posed, the unguarded moments over the staged. The laughter shared with a friend or loved one is far more real, and says much more about who a person really is, than anything given on command. I'd rather work on location, in the field, than in a studio. That's not to say that I can't take a posed photo, or arrange people, but if that's all you're looking for, there are excellent photographers that specialize in that sort of thing.

I'm not going to rush you. Taking pictures takes time. Being photographed can be hard work, despite how easy it may look on America's Next Top Model. The last thing that either of us needs is a clock or time limit hanging over our heads.

I don't have packages. I don't believe in them. Some things can be boxed and quantified, but I don't think that photography is one of them. Yes, I offer discounts if you order more stuff, but I don't think I should be the one to tell you what you want or force you into a particular set of choices.

I started taking pictures as a child when my dad, a former photojournalist, taught me how to shoot, develop, and print in black and white. All these years later, I'm still doing it because I enjoy photography. Though most of my work today is shot digitally, I still love shooting film, and have a collection of working film cameras, each with its own special character. Modern cameras and lenses have become perfect to a fault, and it's interesting to see how many photographers are using manipulations to make their photos look like they were taken with old, imperfect film cameras, or simulate the look of certain films.

That said, a camera is still only a tool. Put it in the hands of ten different people and you'll get ten different results. Hopefully, you'll like the results you see here and entrust me as your photographer.