PhotosByFeist: About me
My foray into photography was an old manual focus film SLR my father gave me as a pre-teen. I loved looking at the world through the lens, as it slowly came into focus. It wasn’t until years later that I got my first digital camera, and a few years after that, my first formal training as a photographer. Then I landed a gig shooting an event for a non-profit organization, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I loved being a fly-on-the-wall, capturing genuine emotions and documenting the event. Five years later, I’ve specialized in event photography—whether the events are weddings, family gatherings, corporate or non-profit events, I enjoy them all equally.
Photography is something I do on the side, and I like it that way. When we do something all the time, we develop a rhythm. In photography, this rhythm, in my opinion, is a creative rut. The rhythm leads us to take the same shots here, and there, and here and there. The magic is replaced with routine. I still feel the magic at events I cover; there’s nothing routine about it. I enjoy it so much, my adrenaline pumps through me the day of an event and I can shoot for hours on end. You will see a difference in pictures I shoot at your event—the natural expressions and emotions, eye contact, identity, and context are all things I strive for in every photo.
Now, I made my foray into wedding photography as a guest at a wedding. I took as many photos as the hired photographer, and more creative ones, according to the couple. I had fun documenting their day; I rarely lowered the camera from my face. I took pictures of the guests, the décor, the silverware, abstracts, detail pictures of the locations of the wedding and reception—everything. I also aimed for photos the primary photographer could not get, such as the faces of the bride’s or groom’s parents as their child marched down the aisle.
Since then, I’ve been involved in dozens of events, weddings, and portrait sessions. In 2005, PhotosByFeist became an official business, registered and licensed to operate in the City of Norfolk, Virginia.
My style is overall very photojournalistic. Add some creative dashes inspired by artistic legends Ansel Adams and Pablo Picasso, and you’re getting even closer to understanding my whole style. Foremost, as a photojournalist, I look for photos that tell stories. I much prefer natural smiles, emotional expressions, and “real” moments that are never “perfect.” So, if you’re after a photographer that will follow behind you all day and pose you like a doll, I might not be the right photographer for you. I prefer to be there but mostly transparent, constantly ready for your day’s genuine moments. Now, that’s not to say that if someone starts doing something cute I won’t speak up, but I’m not going to constantly interrupt you or your guests and try to arrange cute things. It’s hard to explain. From Ansel Adams, I borrow his art of foreground, middleground, and background to help tell stories. Finally, when I’m feeling creative, I grab a few artistic abstracts reminiscent of Picasso’s famous paintings. All together, the photos I take will represent your day’s story, scenery, and artistry. As you might guess, my specialty (and passion) is candid photography.
There’s something else you should know about me. I’m passionate about catching a moment, and I’ll jump around like Richard Simmons or (gracefully) drop to the floor if I have to to capture it! I’ve seen wedding photographers show up to a ceremony in suits. Does Richard Simmons wear a suit? Uh oh, technically he does—a spandex ones—but we are NOT going there! On a serious note, I'm not in the pictures, I'm taking them. I won't be in jeans and a t-shirt, but I will not be in a suit! I am there to work without inhibition, and that means possibly getting dirty by dropping to the ground to get shots of kids or chasing unique perspectives. I’ll crawl, roll, lay flat on my back…literally anything to get a creative shot. I have a top-quality digital camera that can shoot 5 pictures per second, and I use the best professional lenses to enable maximum flexibility, creativity, and quality. I’m not about to stymie my creativity with fear of getting dirty by getting down in the grass or crawling after a toddler at the reception!