Chris Schmitt
When I was 7 years old, our home burned to the ground and we lost everything we owned in a matter of minutes. What I remember most about that tragic day was my mother hysterically screaming trying to get into the house to save our family photos and other important items. Unfortunately, she was unable to, and we lost not only my childhood photos, but her childhood photos as well. This was long before the age of digital so all originals were lost. It was on that day that I understood the importance of photography and what a picture could mean to someone.
In High School, I had a photography teacher who began the year by quoting Mark Twain to the class. He read, "The Secret to Success is making your Vocation your Vacation." The quote resonated with me and my teacher's passion was contagious. Taking pictures and developing the film in the darkroom was magical. I had finally found something I had a passion for.
In my 20's, I worked with many of the world's top celebrity fashion photographers including David La Chapelle, Herb Rits, Annie Leibowitz, Peggy Sirota, Matthew Rolston and many others. It was always exciting and never a dull moment. I thought a career in fashion photography was what I wanted until I photographed a friends wedding, and had so much fun, that I knew this was what I should be doing for a living.
All of these experiences have prepared me for how I approach the wedding day. I like to be spontaneous and have fun with my clients. I make them feel comfortable and photograph everyone in a way that makes them look and feel their very best. We have a talent for capturing those fun candid moments of friends and family which usually turn out to be my favorites. And each wedding becomes a blank canvas for me to do all of this. Most importantly, I understand the value of photography and what a picture can mean to a family.
We are fortunate to have a team of super talented photographers working with us including my favorite, my wife Andrea! I met Andrea in Baggage Claim in Milan Italy. We both had missed our flights home and ended up taking a train that afternoon to Paris (as a spontaneous decision) where we ended up spending the next several days exploring the city together and ultimately falling in love. This year will mark our 7th anniversary!
When I'm not taking pictures, editing or designing wedding albums, you can usually find me running around with our 4 year old son Sawyer acting like a big kid myself! Fatherhood has been the most amazing part of my life and I can't express into words the joy I get on a daily basis from viewing the world through his eyes. We just had a baby girl this year and we are truly blessed.
Traveling is my other passion. We've had the good fortune to see some incredible places together BK (before kids!) Now to get my fix, we try and book some awesome destination weddings each year and I often bring the family with me... So if you need a 4 year old ring bearer, just let me know!