How I Got Here: Design, Torch, and a Camera

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about where this creative life started—and how the road’s twisted and turned to get here.

I’ve been putting together a story to submit to a few magazines and sites. Something that traces the path from Navy days to design school, to building a jewelry line, and eventually, to making photography a main gig.

It’s funny to look back:
I joined the Navy awhile after high school. Five very long years. After that, I studied design and built a career in print—layouts, typography, everything on a grid. When the web rolled in, I gave it a shot, but I missed the satisfaction of making something you could actually hold.

In 2009, I took a jewelry class just to get off the computer. That one class turned into Silver Piston, my handmade jewelry line, which I built through Instagram and the custom motorcycle scene. I shot all my own content, and photography started creeping in from the edges.

In 2017, I gave portraits a try—started with friends, learned by doing, and slowly got better. Now I shoot portraits for brands, agencies, and individuals. Executives, athletes, artists—people who want to look like themselves, just at their best.

Photography’s a main gig now, but not the only one. I still make jewelry, and I’m always looking for opportunities to collaborate on projects that end with something physical—a book, a poster, a print piece you can hold in your hands.

So yeah, this has all been on my mind as I gather images and stories to share. Appreciate you following along.