Personal Life Changes:
2025 was a year of a few massive life changes. My last grandparent passed away, my grandpa on my mom’s side, which feels like a generational shift within the family. That shift becomes more apparent when seeing my younger cousins grow up to become teenagers and young adults, starting to drive and talking about college, and my youngest stepsister with her daughter. This past year marked the end of a long-term relationship, but also the beginning of a new one. My girlfriend Lauren was amazing during the time of my grandpa's passing. Supporting me by coming along with my family, whom she had recently met, to Phoenix, AZ, to get my grandpa’s ashes and spread them according to my grandpa's wishes. I moved in with Lauren on December 1st, relocating to a new city and state, Nashville, TN, while maintaining my apartment in Louisville, KY. There’s a momentum behind me that I haven’t felt in some time that’s invited with all of the uncomfortableness of changes, life shifts, and uncertainty. There’s a creative push with all of this change happening, especially with the love and support from Lauren, that really excites me, and I feel that was lost in being safe.
Traveling as a Creative:
Lauren and I have been doing creative photoshoots to enjoy working in our crafts together on our own terms, as well as build our portfolios. Before we got together, she invited me to be a part of a fashion Derby-themed shoot that she’s produced the past few years. We set up a beverage shoot leaning more artsy than commercial in style at my Louisville studio, where Lauren modeled with a fun makeup look. The family visit to Phoenix was extended into a family trip, and traveling to a few cities like Sedona. Lauren and I set up a photoshoot to do together while we were in Arizona, because, desert. It was great practice in traveling with an efficient kit, including her wardrobe, hair and makeup kit, my cameras and lenses, and a small lighting package. We produced the shoot, coming up with a location based on what was on the route of our pre-planned trip, while being accessible with the right look. We decided on a call time to get prepped, traveling to the location, hiking into the spot to shoot, and feeling good about the work we’re creating. We turned around from Arizona a few days later to NYC during fashion week, where we set up another photoshoot. This time, leaning into street photography and fashion, we worked with a local model as talent, and so many thanks to our friend, Katie, for helping me with lighting while navigating the subway and city streets. In the middle of the craziness that is the holiday season, I was able to work on a spec commercial shoot for a chili crunch brand. The spec shoot was produced and co-directed by photographer Jonathon Chi. This allowed me to work on my directing and video production skills while working in a small space.
A Fresh Look:
In 2025, I made a deliberate push for my commercial photo and video production work after stepping away from doing much shooting at all. There was a much needed pause transitioning out of the wedding world, then having a reset while absorbing all of the information and learning as I’ve been working as support in the commercial photo space. To celebrate this shift in my career, I wanted to give some life and identity to this brand that is me. So in the spring, I had a new logo and branding created. As a plant dad and earth-conscious person, I wanted something that leaned into nature and had an earthy feel. The topography in the logo and terrestrial brand colors hit home for me. I’m extremely excited about the branding that Louisville’s own Will Hixson created, and I am now implementing it into my website, social media, and marketing. You can find Will’s work here: https://www.willhixson.com/
Those Who Support My Work. Clientele.
Outside of creative shoots and a commercial spec shoot, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with a few new clients, including Angel’s Envy, for a cocktail shoot, Black Chef Showcase, an event in Louisville showcasing black chefs in the Louisville area, Belle Noble Entertainment Group for Lee Moo’s birthday event with local influencers in Louisville, KY, and Lauren’s families non-profit and foundation, Julie Sutton’s Shoes. I have continued working with the non-profit, Canine Companions, as well as Churchill Downs Magazine, and UrbanEco Farms.
Thank you all for the opportunity to create work for you and for supporting me and my craft.
Some New Year’s Goals.
This year, with what feels like numerous fresh starts, I have some things to check off this year.
Implement the new logo and branding.
Refresh the website with new work.
Create my first promo to deliver to agencies.
Produce and shoot more spec work.
Begin the search for studio spaces in Nashville.
Build my commercial photography and video presence in Nashville and Louisville.
This Year’s Work
