Finally! The Shutter Verdict blog...take two.

If you've been around me a while, you'd know that at one point, this was really where it all started.  I created a blog because a: it was free and b: I wanted to document my longest bicycle ride vacation ever.  I signed up, created a site, tested it and off I went.  That was a long time ago and the intention was to let my friends and family have something to follow along to as I made my way from Mackinac Island (Michigan) back home to Portage, MI...on my bike, almost 500 miles along the lake shore.  I had become quite the avid rider and needed a serious vacation from work, so what better way to vent than to ride along the lake shore of Western Michigan while taking pictures and blogging from my Palm Pilot TX (I told you it was a long time ago).

Since those days back in 2008, the blog had progressed, as did I, making images that people wanted to see.  The blog ventured into a portfolio website at Zenfolio.  Things kept rolling and I kept making images, falling completely in love with the process of making a better image than the last.  Learning new techniques, reading up on honing my skills, learning what the heck HTML code was and how to use it to my advantage.  Long since the days of a site where you could just view my images.  That evolved into a site with a more artist portfolio feel, then to a site where you could purchase my images...and people did.

Muskegon, MI

I shot mainly objects and landscapes and rarely any people.  My first real shoot opportunity was from my good friend Becky who worked at a salon.  She had some co-workers who wanted pictures done to send to Inspire Magazine, a dominant publication in all salons these days depicting the newest hair trends.  The shoot went great and although none of the images were chosen, due to the backgrounds being "too busy", I learned a lot.  I wanted to learn more!

Inspire Magazine Shoot

I started shooting anything and everything.  Following photographers blogs like Chase Jarvis, David Hobby, and Joe McNally, to learn all I could about artistic images, lighting and making my own gear on the cheap.  Not long after I shot my first wedding, then another, then another, then a portrait shoot in which I attained one of my best and favorite portrait images ever!

Hilary

This got me even more excited and with that came more drive to create more portraits and soak in as much knowledge as I could.

Becca

I kept adding pictures to my "website" but never really blogged anymore.  I just uploaded and told people about it.  Eventually I started shooting more and more for paying clients and then in October of 2009 I met my future wife.  I packed up the gear and headed North to Minnesota where I got married in 2010 to the most supportive, patient and understanding woman on the planet.

David and Nicole

Near the end of 2011 I was shooting a lot, personal projects and for clients.  I told myself that it was time to completely revamp the website and to really start using the blog to keep people in the loop.  You can only answer the question, "How's the photography going?" so many times.  So a new blog, a new website, and a new year on the horizon for 2012.  Thanks to all who have supported me in my passion for the last few years and to Greg Meyer for shoving a camera in my hands along with the words, "Here, keep your hands busy with this".

Greg

Dave