Why I Created Memories in Stills

For years, I was the one behind the camera.

Every family vacation, weekend adventure, trip to the zoo, or day exploring somewhere new, I was the one capturing the memories. I wanted to preserve every smile, laugh, milestone, and adventure so our family would always have those moments to look back on.

As a father, I thought I was doing exactly what I should be doing.

Then one day, I started looking through our family photographs and realized something I hadn't noticed before:

I was rarely in them.

I had documented countless memories, but there were very few photographs showing that I was actually there experiencing them with my family.

Then I realized something else.

While I was focused on getting the photographs, my wife was often managing six children—keeping everyone together, carrying what needed to be carried, handling snacks, wiping tears, and making sure everyone was enjoying themselves.

I was preserving the experience, but sometimes I wasn't fully part of the experience.

We had beautiful photographs, but they didn't always tell the whole story.

That's where the idea for Memories In Stills began.

I believe parents deserve to be part of their family's memories—not just the people responsible for creating and documenting them.

That's why my approach to photography is intentionally different.

I don't want your family outing, vacation, or celebration to suddenly become a photo shoot. I want you to keep doing what you came there to do. Explore. Laugh. Play with your kids. Hold hands. Ride the rides. Pick the apples. Celebrate the birthday. Enjoy the vacation.

I'll take care of remembering it.

My approach is candid and unobtrusive. Rather than constantly directing you where to stand or asking your children to smile for the camera, I stay observant and capture the interactions that happen naturally—the laughter between siblings, a child reaching for your hand, a spontaneous hug, or the expression on a parent's face while watching their child experience something for the first time.

When a natural opportunity for a family photograph presents itself, we'll capture that too. But the experience always comes first.

My Philosophy

I'm not selling perfectly posed portraits. I'm preserving moments you'll never get back.

Memories In Stills was created for family vacations, local adventures, seasonal traditions, celebrations, couples, proposals, and the ordinary days that may not feel extraordinary until years later.

Because someday, you won't just want to remember where you went.

You'll want to remember what your children looked like at that age. How they interacted with each other. What made everyone laugh. What it felt like to be together.

And most importantly, you'll have photographs that show you were there too.