Jimmy

I am often given the big smiling handshake at weddings by someone who then, with an air of gleeful conspiracy, will say, “You know, I’ve always wanted to be a photographer.” I used to give a polite smile and nod. These days I reply with the same excitement, “You know, I always wanted to be a Rock Star!”

That almost always seems to get me a good ice-breaking laugh.

I draw inspiration for weddings through my street photography. The emotions can be the same. A mentor of mine told me years ago that an abandoned building has just as much emotion and character as the most beautiful bride. For the most part, he was right.

Pounding the big city pavement, camera in tow, is how I learned to shoot. One of my first influences called street photography, ‘the ultimate classroom’. I spent years shooting urban landscapes and people in Cleveland, Detroit, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and my favorite city in the world, Pittsburgh.

I fell into wedding photography almost by chance. A colleague of mine needed help shooting a wedding, and he asked me to give him a hand. Shoulders shrugged, eyes rolling, I agreed. Ten minutes into the day, I knew this was a cool thing, a really cool thing. I finally felt challenged. I remember watching the bride’s face through my lens. She was crying and laughing with joy. I snapped the picture. That was the first of thousands of pictures I would take of brides. It still hangs on my office wall today, as a reminder of my first frame ever shot at a wedding. Two days later, I started Limelight-Images.

When I’m not shooting weddings or urban exploring what’s on my plate? Baseball. baseball, baseball, the Pirates and Yankees, mountain biking, walking, collecting baseball cards, working out and g-g-g-g-g-golf? Well, not yet, but it looks like an interesting game.

Did I leave anything out. Of course I did. The most important three people in my life, my little girls Micky and Gigi, who we call Knickers and Lish and my most beautiful wife and partner, Kristy. My family is my rock. Without them, I wouldn’t be blessed with everything I have!

Check me out on Fluidr

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