I've been a Nikon shooter since day one. I saved up money from a summer job in college to buy a Nikon FM3a in 2001, my first SLR. Nearly two decades, half a dozen cameras and a LOT of lenses, Nikon has always been at the center of my kit.
I'm absolutely thrilled to share that I've been named one of the 10 new Nikon Ambassadors for Nikon USA. It's an incredible honor to partner with a company whose products I depend on day in and day out. But even more than the gear, Nikon has always embodied a pure passion for photography, which makes this an even more personal privilege to me.
The Nikon Ambassador program started in 2013 with just 16 photographers representing the United States, comprised of some of the most prominent photographers in the world. The program has grown year after year to include some of the most distinguished image makers alive — people I have personally looked up to and learned from. It is the utmost privilege to join the likes of photographers Joe McNally, Ami Vitale, James Balog, Moose Peterson and every single one of the other Nikon Ambassadors.
I started out as a music fan who happened to have a camera, and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have the opportunities that photography has granted me.
In all honesty, becoming a Nikon Ambassador isn't even something that I had even allowed myself to dream about as a photographer. It's an achievement that felt like something so far removed from reality, it was unattainable. The title of Nikon Ambassador was reserved for individuals who had achieved feats like winning Pulitzer Prizes, served the photography community for decades, or who, for all intents and purposes, had walked on the moon.
Nikon describes the Ambassador program as such:
Nikon Ambassadors are some of the most versatile, ambitious and influential photographers today. They represent a vast array of backgrounds and shooting disciplines, but what binds them all is a commitment to move the imaging industry forward through knowledge sharing, guidance for the imaging community and a mastery of technology and trends.
For me, the part that stands out is this: sharing knowledge.
Since I started it over a decade ago, this blog gave me a voice and a way to share my work, but moreover, it has been a place where I have been able to share what I have learned in my path as a music photographer. That anything I have ever shared has helped or inspired anyone as a photographer in the smallest way has always been the absolute highest compliment I could ever receive.
For this reason, it is such a privilege to join the Nikon Ambassador program and the ranks of its members who are all so committed to sharing their passion for photography and pushing the photography world forward.
The few projects that I've worked on with Nikon — from the D500 launch campaign and video t0 the the 2018 Speedlight catalog and Speedlight site launch — have truly been dream gigs for me. This new step is just beyond belief. A sincere thank you to the whole team at Nikon for believing in me and for this opportunity to represent music photographers. I am humbled to be included with the blinding talent that makes up the Nikon Ambassador program.
