
DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER | BELLINGHAM, WA
Why documentary photography?
Because real is felt.
Because life is art.
Because to be seen, valued, and celebrated feels so damn good.
Meet Rob
Photographer. Neurodivergent. Twenty-five year partner to a beautiful soul. Parent to a kiddo almost as tall as me. Dog dad of two. I live for my partner’s laughter and my kiddo’s hugs; have a deep reverence for the ephemeral; desperately miss living in Hong Kong; and could easily make a habit of eating more Korean rice cake than is healthy for me. I document ways of being, becoming, and belonging with an understanding that there’s no one way. That there’s, in fact, many. And that difference is delicious. My work is one of service. It’s about presence, acceptance, and bearing witness to the everyday lives of ordinary folk, and all their delightful quirks.
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This sounds dope, Rob! What do you offer?
Children and Family
Performance and Events
Branding
Testimonials? Yeah, I’ve Got One!
“As a dad, I’ll admit I was kind of dreading the typical family photo shoot, but this experience with Rob was completely different and genuinely enjoyable… Highly recommend Rob, especially for parents with little extra time in their lives to schedule something else.” — Nathan
Ready to collaborate?
Questions?
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Bring it! I’ve been a stay-at-home dad for ten years and a homeschool teacher. Before that I worked with kiddos in a number of settings - in classrooms, childcare settings, and shelters. So yeah, I’m up for it!
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I’m an autistic individual with ADHD. For me that means that I have energy and focus in spades when a camera is in hand, because photography is a special interest that feeds my otherwise dopamine-starved brain. I also derive energy from people with good hearts who care for their loved ones, so working with nurturing families is simply delightful and incredibly fulfilling. A nurturing, supportive environment fills me with a profound sense of warmth that regularly reveals itself in quiet smiles given generously throughout the course of a session. In fact, I tend to smile more than I engage in conversation during a session because I want to minimize my influence in an environment. I’ll chat with your kiddos to build rapport, get in close with my camera to create images with emotional impact, and climb on furniture or lie on the floor if needs be to create an image, but I won’t extrovert too much. I’ve been told that I’m a quiet, calm presence. I like to think that places you and your family precisely where it needs to during a session: at the center of your story.
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I deeply appreciate a genuine moment - an unscripted and unposed moment. None of the photos posted on my site were posed. None were guided. I can usually create a card-worthy photo without directing anyone. That said, we can make a lightly posed moment or two with minimal direction happen if you wish.
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If you allow me to, yes! But I’ll certainly honor your right to privacy if you choose otherwise. Posting client photos online does a few important things in my mind. It makes the heart-work of parenthood known, revealing its value in a society that isn’t always supportive of parents. With its focus on authenticity, documentary family photographs stand against the perfectly curated social media feed and gives a more truthful representation of what it means to be a family. Related to that, it broadens the definition of family at a time when institutions are pushing back against expressed identities. Finally, and not nearly important as the previous points, it helps me advertise myself as a service provider. The more people see my work, the more opportunity I have to provide my photographic service. But as I said, the decision is yours. If you allow me to, that would be fantastic. If not, respect.
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I prioritize my client’s personal feelings of emotional safety and their right to set boundaries over photographic opportunity when working with them. Your body is yours to advocate and set boundaries for. You say what gets photographed and what doesn’t. I honor it. Full stop. Some mothers who breastfeed want to be photographed. Others don’t. Similarly, some parents want potty training or bathing documented. Others don’t. The most important part of my job is to listen and to photograph only what you want incorporated into your story. Prior to and on the day of your session I’ll regularly check in with you to determine what your boundaries and comfort levels are. Likewise, if you allow me to post photos from our session together online, we’ll have a discussion around boundaries: what can or cannot be posted.
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I use the natural/ambient light in your environment so there’s no need to concern yourself with flash photography. In the event that you have a specific activity or location in mind that might require external light sources, I’ll talk with you before hand.
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I’m in the start-up stage of my photography business, which means you get a great deal as long as you contact me sooner rather than later!
