Thank You Winston Salem

Constantly moving has been nothing new for me. As a military kid, my father constantly moved us. As a Marine myself, I have moved my family every three years like clock work. Three years ago, when the Marine Corps told me that I would be moving to Winston Salem, disappointment would be an understatement to describe how I felt. I was ready for a change of scenery from the south. I wanted the rugged mountains of Colorado, or wide open plains of the midwest, or even the constant rains of the Washington State. I wanted just about anything other than 3 more years of North Carolina.

But like any good Marine, I said “Aye Sir,” packed my bags, and headed to the Camel City. Once I arrived here, I was pleasantly surprised. The entire area felt like home and I was able to quickly embrace it. But even though I quickly grew in love with the city, the countdown to leaving started the moment I got here.

You see, Marine Corp recruiting duty is one of the hardest jobs in the Marine Corps. Unlike other branches of services the Marine Corps doesn’t sweet talk people with crazy signing bonuses or outlandish promises. We make a commitment to a person and see them through the entire process and at times throughout their entire career. This level of commitment requires time, an insane amount of time. Average work weeks range anywhere between 70-80 hours and leaves almost no time for anything else. So it can be easy to see why anyone would be excited about leaving.

But despite the challenging times, I had a lot of great professional and personal accomplishments here in Winston Salem. We added two kids to our family who can call Winston Salem home. I saw to close 300 men and women come through my office and earn the title of Marine. We met a lot of great people and planted some really good roots. But there is one thing that Winston Salem has given me that has totally changed my life. 

Photography

After trying so many hobbies over the years, nothing stuck. But picking up a camera and putting a person in front of it somehow took hold. But just as photography has been a big part of who I am now, the city of Winston Salem has shared an equal amount of credit for my new found joy of photography. 

Like many photographers, I was overwhelmed and completely confused when I first started. Words like ISO, aperture, and RAW went completely over my head. Trying to shoot in manual was worse that learning to drive a manual car. Discouragement met me at every corner. It’s human nature to compare your work with others. I constantly saw so many great images and couldn’t understand how to get mine to that level. So many times I wanted to sell everything or just punt it off the side of Hanging Rock,

But reason got the best of me and the fact a lot of money had been invested into it; therefore, I did the next best thing…I asked for help. 

But very quickly, I found something missing in a town that prides itself on art. I could not find any outlet or help for photographers. So I reached out to a few local photographers on instagram. Well that was even worse as I was met with digital middle fingers, cold shoulders, and the advice to figure it out myself. Well as the old English proverb says, “necessity is the mother of invention.” And with that @Winstonsalem_Photographers was born.

Through that outlet and this city, I have met a lot of great people who have graciously stepped in front of my camera and let me learn. People who were willing to let me take bad photos of them but supported me and boost up my confidence. People like Elizabeth, Kayla, and Miranda who jumped in front of my camera multiple times. The city provided me with a great backdrop to create some amazing images that I can be proud of. Local businesses have graciously opened their doors to me and supported me in my endeavors like Emily at Ellie Ray Boutique, the AFAS group, and the Brookstown Inn. 

This city has given me some great mentors who are photography giants Like John, Darryl, and Cory ( @decoroimages, @@Phocusdedbydarryl, & @daddy_leica). Countless photographers and models have come along to support my growth and my vision like Hayley, Thunder, Dylan, Isaac, Evie, Kris, Shelby, Autumn, Jackie, Olivia, Cassandra, Andra, Kyrah, Jewan, Kencell and so many more. 

This city has given me a really good photography brother that I talk shop with daily in Robert. He is quick to gas me up and support me. I also found a good photography sister in Katherine. She has pushed me creatively to take some of my best pictures to date. 

I feel like that this city has given me so much, that I will forever be indebted to it. I hope that the group I started is some kind return on the large investment the city has put in me. There are so many people I’m sure I left out, and I know I will hear about it later on. But I’m extremely grateful to everyone I’ve crossed paths. 

As Marines, we are told to always leave an area better than way it was when you got there. I hope that I was able to leave a lasting mark on a place that I will forever love. But as much as I am grateful for this city, grateful for all the people, grateful for all the good times and great photos, none of this would not be possible without my wife. A homeschool mother of 7 kids who has pretty much run the family while I work and play, she is the sole reason all of this has been possible. Her constant support for all of this is the only reason any of this has been possible. Maybe we can now have kid number 8…..Just playing and checking to see if she actually read this lol. 

So for any of you still reading this, my move to Charlotte is not the end. I still plan to do as much as I can for the city of Winston. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. Again, thanks for for everything and 

Stay Classy Winston Salem