The Man Behind the Lens: How I Became a Wedding Photographer

I got married on October 3rd, 2015. My wife, McKenzie, and I were fortunate enough to be able to have the ceremony at her cousin's house in Charleston on the inter-coastal waterway. Since we were basically getting married in their backyard, we could only invite immediate family. This meant we would have to host a second reception back home a couple weeks later, so I was essentially planning TWO weddings. So let me tell ya, I know EXACTLY how stressful planning a wedding is!

We already had a pretty small budget that was strained between the ceremony in Charleston and the reception in Spartanburg. So when we learned my father-in-law-to-be was laid off, things got even tighter. We did everything we could to save some money, including having some close friends cater and even DJ our wedding. We also decided we would need to cut corners on our photographer. We tried to find one of the cheapest photographers we could find in Charleston and actually just had a friend with a nice camera take photos at the reception in Spartanburg.

Fast forward to several weeks later and we finally have our wedding pictures arrive. We started clicking through them and as we went on and on, we just weren't blown away by them like we had thought we would be. Slowly, our hearts began to sink as we realized that we had made a HUGE mistake on one of the biggest days of both of our lives! Sure, we had a couple photos that we liked out of the 500-600, but we were both left wishing we hadn't decided to cheap out on something so important.

Shortly after, I was sitting in a Barnes & Noble reading a book about photography and I couldn't get my mind off my wedding photos. I knew then that I had to become a wedding photographer. You see, I had always loved photography and got my first camera as a college graduation present several years prior. Despite my love for it, I never really considered becoming a professional. But every time I looked back on my own wedding experience, I just thought about how much I would hate for ANYONE to experience that for themselves. It has been my mission ever since to do everything in my power to give all of my clients the experience they deserve.

At Southern Son Photography, I’m dedicated to giving my clients a premium photography experience. My number one priority is to make sure you feel taken care of. It is my goal to offer an unparalleled customer service while providing tangible memories that last for decades to come!

Now that you know a little more about me, I'd love to hear about you! If you are currently looking for a wedding photographer or even someone to capture your engagement, maternity, or senior portraits, head over to our contact page and tell us about yourself!