Most people know you through your photographs, but I'm curious about the path that led you there. What first pulled you toward photography, and at what point did it become more than just an interest?

In high school, my wife, (girlfriend at the time) picked up a camera and started shooting photos. Somewhere in spending time with her, and in an effort to impress her, I started shooting photos as well and fell in love with it. Pretty shortly after graduation, we got married and photography became a career path for the both of us.

You've photographed everyone from close friends to well-known musicians and personalities. What have you learned about people from spending so much time observing them through a camera?

The more time I have spent photographing people over the years, the more I've realized that who someone is matters a lot more than what they’re known for. Some of the people I first met through photography have become close friends. I've started to look past titles or recognition and just pay attention to who the person is. Everyone has their own perspective, quirks, insecurities, strengths and their own story, and those are the things that make people interesting.

What are you looking for when you make a picture?

For me, the best photographs are the ones that bring you right back to that moment every time you look at them. Whether its a landscape, an emotion, or just an ordinary moment in time, I'm always trying to capture something that makes you feel like you were there.

Photography is often romanticized from the outside. What does the day-to-day reality of making a living with a camera actually look like for you?

I feel incredibly blessed to be able to pay my bills and support my family with my camera. It's not always glamorous. There's long hours, time away from home, inconsistent income and all the administrative work that people never see, but at the end of the day, I still get to do what I love and call it work.

You're raising kids while building a creative career. Have your priorities or relationship to work changed since becoming a father?

Absolutely. Having kids has changed my whole perspective on life, let alone my career. It's a strange balance. Having kids has made me want to work less so I can spend more time with them, but I also want to work more so I can provide the best life I can for them. I feel like it will be a balance I'm chasing for the rest of my life. More than anything, becoming a father has slowed me down, kept me more grounded and reminded me to be fully present when I am home.

What occupies your mind these days?

Honestly, my mind is all over the place these days. I'm thinking about my family, the kind of dad I want to be, the work I want to create, trips we want to take, when the next swell is coming, working on our truck, new businesses I want to start, and where the future is headed. I'm never really focused on just one thing. I'm just trying to build a life where I spend as much time as possible with my family and still create work I'm proud of.

The Ford project feels like more than just restoring an old truck. What drew you to it in the first place, and what has the process taught you?

I've bought, fixed up, and sold a lot of old vehicles over the years. Giving run down vehicles a new life is something I've always loved. I've also found its been a really good outlet for me outside of photography. Stepping away from the computer and working with my hands slows my mind down a lot. When we had our first daughter, Lennon, I took some time away from it. Now that she's old enough to do it with me, I spent a couple of months looking for the right truck, and bringing it back to life with her has been one of the most rewarding projects I've ever taken on.

You've been rebuilding the truck alongside your daughter. Years from now, what do you hope she'll remember about those hours spent in the garage together?

I think back to being a kid and spending hours with my dad while he showed me how to change the brakes and oil, fix things around the house, and work on whatever project he had going on. I learned how to take care of things, and more importantly, that if you're willing to put in the effort, you can figure almost anything out. But aside from the practical things, I got to spend countless hours just being with my dad. Looking back, I think that time really helped shape me into who I am, and that's something I want to give to my kids as well.

Surfing, photography, family, old vehicles - many of the things you seem drawn to require patience. Is patience something you've always had, or something you've had to learn?

Ironically, I'm one of the least patient people I know. Its never come naturally, and something I have to work at everyday. I paddle for the wrong waves, overshoot photos, get short with family, and end up redoing half the things I fix on my truck. Patience is something I'm constantly trying to get better at. What has taught me the most patience is having kids who are a lot like me. It's teaching me to slow down, and try to be more understanding.

Is there a photograph you've made that feels especially important to you?

It's hard to narrow it down to just one because I love photographs that document real life, whether it's my own family, someone else's, or anything in between. But one that always comes to mind is one of the first days I took my Nikonos V into the water. The surf had gone flat, and my buddy Ryan and I were just floating around talking. He shot his board up out of the water, and I caught a photo of it. We weren't out there trying to create anything, it just happened. Its just a simple moment in-between the waves that I love. Every time I see it, it brings back the feeling of being in the water.

What are you currently excited about? It could be a creative project, a personal pursuit, or simply something that's holding your attention these days.

The truck project is really what's been getting most of my attention these days. I'm really excited to get it on the road. Its funny how an old truck has been the connection between so many parts of my life, from me and my daughter spending time together working on it, to cruising to the beach with the family, and a creative outlet for personal photography projects.

Looking back from a long way down the road, what do you hope people remember about you?

The things I'd want people to remember have very little to do with photography. I'd hope that my family and friends would remember the good times we shared, laughing together, being there for each other through the good and the bad, and the love we all have for each other. And if that shows through in the way I lived, I'm happy.

On a much less serious note, you've accumulated a few well-worn Imperfects jackets over the years. Which one of these is your go-to lately?

I've had a black Cunningham coat for years now that I love that's always been a daily driver for me. The classic chore coat is one of my favorite styles, and the pockets works so well in daily life and on shoots holding extra batteries and rolls of film.

What are some things outside of photography that have made you a better photographer?

I think the biggest thing outside of photography has just been relationships and conversations. Getting to know and spending time with people has helped me understand how to go about photographing people from all walks of life. The conversations when the camera isn't out are almost always more important than the time spent shooting photos. The more curious I've become about peoples lives, the better photographer I've become.