When I started my wedding photography business I left my staff newspaper job behind. I always thought I’d have time in the “off season” to shoot documentary photo stories. A marriage, lots of mountain biking, two kids, and ten years later and I’m finally digging in. I realized that if I want to explore photojournalism and get back to my roots, I can. I set off in December to tell the story of Flagstaff After Dark… and I had a lot of fun in the process. Just hitting the street and getting caption information again was a thrill. I love photojournalism because you have to capture the moment without setting it up, staging it or directing it. Sometimes it makes you uncomfortable and sometimes it makes you feel powerful. Some nights I came home frustrated but mostly I came back invigorated. To capture a documentary moment, the photographer has to be in the right place at the right time, create a composition in an instant and tell a story. It’s a real challenge and I’m hooked again just like I was 13 years ago when I started my first newspaper job. I know that these images are mostly fluffy and fun but I am going to continue to explore this topic in more depth. Some of these images ran in Northern Arizona Mountain Living Magazine as a three page feature photo story. I’d like to thank all the Flagstaff businesses and people who allowed me into their world. All of the images are available as prints or for commercial purposes. Please contact the studio for more information.
