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A VERY WARM
WELCOME
A little about Derek
I’m a wedding photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee. I grew up in a town not far from Boston and moved to Tennessee in the summer of 2016, so my wife could attend Medical School. We are blessed with two amazing children, Aubrey and Jacob, who are my everything. We have a Golden Retriever named Cooper and a cat named Patches, to top off the family crew.
THE BORING RESUME STUFF
In my pre photographer life, I spent 13 years working State and Local Law Enforcement and 7 years as an Investigator and Supervisor in Child Protective Services and am still a Licensed Social Worker. I have Bachelor Degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice and am a University of Massachusetts Alum with a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. A Type 1 for all of you Enneagram fanatics. The Reformer, said to have a tremendous attention to detail, highly organized, responsible, always striving to make order out of chaos are just a few of the traits defined by a Type 1. All of these traits have served me quite well over the years and help me navigate stressful time constrained wedding days with relative ease.
HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU END UP IN PHOTOGRAPHY
I stumbled into photography when I purchased my first real camera around the time my daughter was born and it quickly grew into an obsession and career. This journey started nine years ago and I have had the honor of photographing over 300 weddings since I started this amazing journey. My wedding travels frequently bring me to locations throughout the southeast as well as all of the New England States. I enjoy traveling and have done destination wedding work in Italy, Mexico and other locations across the eastern coastline.
MY PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
Over the years my style of photography has evolved and has become much more focused on the emotion and connection that my couples have for one another. My attempt is always to create beautiful images that capture moments and interactions that are often fleeting and lost. I am constantly looking for creative compositions that play with both natural and artificial light. I prefer dramatic imagery that enhances candid moments with play in the shadows and blacks. If I pose a couple, it is with purpose and intention. My couples trust me and my vision and even more, my ability to navigate the complexity of a wedding day. Couples have often said that they were drawn to my work because the imagery spoke to them and my vision and style is unique. I pride myself in being able to create images where most cannot envision one being taken, often times in challenging locations under the tight time constraints of a wedding day.
ALL THE BRAGGY STUFF
My work has been featured by some of the industry’s top publications including Bridal Beauty Magazine, Style Me Pretty, Newport Wedding Magazine, the Knot, NorthShore Magazine, The Pink Bride Magazine, The Inspired Bride and several other publications. I am a featured vendor on WeddingWire and am a preferred vendor at several of the top wedding venues in the Knoxville area and throughout New England. I am the creator of Aspire Photography Workshops , which offers several professional photography workshops and mentor-ships to aspiring photographers annually.
Check out what my wedding couples are saying
ART ENABLES US TO FIND OURSELVES AND LOSE OURSELVES AT THE SAME TIME
-THOMAS MERTON
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