I want to make cool shit.

I’ve never been much of a fan of pretense. Professionalism to me is not about the clothes I wear or the haircut I have or how many awesome tattoos I have (a shit load). Professionalism is about doing a great job, working well with your team and others, working to the best of one’s abilities. Being respectful of the job and all the people involved.

I worked as a wedding photographer in the north east for 16 years and I was exceptional at it. My background in wedding photography gave me a skill set that I think is applicable to almost any job in the media industry.

First and foremost, I had to deliver. Every time. I couldn’t come to a bride a few weeks after the wedding and say “Sorry, the light wasn’t very good, and the venue didn’t have great locations, so your photos don’t look good.” Regardless of the situation, I had to come back with outstanding photos.

I got very good at dealing with a vast variety of people. I shot mostly high end weddings in the NY, NJ, CT, Long Island area, so, I became an expert at talking to the wealthy and high society people, which was a stretch at the beginning for the sketchy skater punk I am, but I learned. I have also photographed a wedding of pretty much any culture and religion you can think of. I’ve excelled at communication and understanding with people whom I have nothing in common with, including language.

I have had to be incredibly self motivated my entire career. I started my business myself, I marketed my business myself, I maintained my business and client relationships myself, I created my website myself, I designed all promotional materials and albums myself. If I didn’t do something, it wasn’t getting done.

I’ve needed to be a leader in more situations than I can count. Not just a leader to my team of 2nd shooters, assistants, videographers. But a leader for everyone on the wedding day. The couple, the wedding party, their families, guests. I had done this hundreds of times, they hadn’t. People constantly relied on me to keep things on schedule, handle all sorts of SNAFU’s that arise throughout the day. It was often on me to nearly run the day.

I am at a point in my career where I cannot be a wedding photographer anymore. I’m very proud of the work I have done, but it’s subject matter that never truly spoke to me. I like the challenges, the problem solving, the creativity, and when I was in my 20’s, I liked the excitement and parties, but weddings themselves were never something I was passionate about. I also disliked how much time, energy, and effort goes into getting more work as a freelancer. I want to spend my time and energy making things, not looking for work.

Instead of making cool shit for brides, I want to make cool shit about the shit I care about. It’s always been the same things. Bikes, skateboards and punk rock. those have been obsessions of mine my entire life. I wore out VHS copies of RAD and Thrashin’ when I was a kid. I read every work printed in Thrasher Magazine from about 1996 to 2005. If I only get to ride my mountain bike once a week, I feel off. I’ve broken more bones and had more stitches than I can count. This stuff isn’t my hobby, it’s my whole life.

In June of 2023, my beloved wife, Mayu, took her own life. This moment has shaped a lot for me since then. It’s part of the reason I can never photograph another wedding. But it has also taught me so much about patience, understanding, and kindness. It also taught me how short life can truly be, and with that mentality, I have to chase what I am passionate about.

From September of 2023 till August of 2024 I worked as a Media Production Specialist at Superhuman Bikes, a small ebike company, formerly known as FLX. I was hired just before the rebrand to Superhuman, and there being such a small team, I needed to wear a lot of hats. The entire marketing team consisted of 3 people. A digital marketer who handled things like Google Ads, SEO, Email lists, customer retention, etc. There was another media specialist who handled much of the filming, video editing, and any 3d graphics. I was the sole photographer for all things on location, in studio, product, and action. I created the graphics for ads, I wrote, designed, and created all the media for the user manuals for 5 bikes. I organized, and produced photoshoots, procured talent and models. I worked 2nd camera for most videos we filmed, I worked as a PA during video shoots if that was needed. I created photos, videos and graphics for all the social media channels the company had, and got the most views, likes and comments on tik tok that the company has ever gotten. I filmed and edited a number of videos solo, and soaked up all the marketing and media knowledge I could. I even helped unload bikes from shipments into the warehouse. In late August of 2024, my position was eliminated from the company in order to save money. I do not believe they are in a good financial situation for a number of reasons including product quality and poor management. I learned a lot from that experience, but ultimately I don’t think it was the right long term fit for me. I’m hoping that now this can lead to some opportunities where I can create to my fullest potential.

I have a unique path to here and a unique skill set.

And I just want to make cool shit.