Information
About Me
Hello, my name is Justin. I think you look great today!
I’m a wedding and portrait photographer based in Virginia Beach. I’ve spent the past several years documenting walking and talking adults, but I’ve spent my recent efforts documenting and falling in love with newborns.
How I got into photography
I didn’t have a camera when I was growing up, and therefore didn’t take many photos as a kid. When I got into my early 20s, I realized I only had a handful of photographs from high school, and even fewer from college. The absence of tangible memories from some of the most important moments of my childhood helped me realize the importance of photography, and I bought my first camera to better document my life.
Since then, I’ve grown even more enamored with the documentary power of photography, and I made the decision several years ago to center my life on making important photographs. Capturing the earliest moments of a new family is one of the most rewarding opportunities I could ever imagine. It gives me the same emotion as documenting weddings, and I treat both with incredible reverence.
Working with Children
I grew up in a single-parent household with a mother who spent all of her energy teaching first graders how to read and write. After retiring from the public school system, she started her own successful music business teaching music to children ranging from newborn to five years old. Whether helping her carry musical instruments to class or tagging along to help with her Girl Scout troop meetings, I’ve been surrounded by families with young children my entire life, and I’m very comfortable in that environment.
That said, I’m not above admitting that children terrify me sometimes! I get along perfectly with newborns – probably because I envy the newborn lifestyle of eating and sleeping all day. But I haven’t cracked the world of toddlers just yet, which is why I focus primarily on newborn photography.
Professional associations
I’m a professional photographer who is associated and supported by the organizations below. Additionally, my business is licensed in the state of Virginia and is entirely insured for both equipment and liability.
I’m very proud to be a member of Wedding and Portrait Photographers International, quite literally the best wedding and portrait photographers in the world.
Professional Photographers of America is an incredible association of photographers, and I’m humbled to be in their company.
I’m also very happy to be part of the Pictage family of photographers. Nobody helps me provide a better quality experience for my customers than Pictage does.
Education
I spent two years studying philosophy and sociology at Western Michigan University before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University to study commerce and art. I then put school on hold for 10 years while I built a graphic design firm in DC and Richmond. After moving back to Virginia Beach to establish my photography business, I’m now finishing my degree at the University of Virginia.
More?
There’s a little more info on my wedding photography bio if you’re so inclined.