You’re Not Just Scheduling a Session—You’re Choosing to Be Seen

You’ve lived a life full of stories, sacrifices, transitions, and triumphs—but when was the last time someone really saw you?

You’re not just looking for a pretty picture. You’re searching for something real. Maybe it’s peace after chaos. Maybe it’s strength rediscovered. Or maybe it’s simply a moment where you are the focus—for once.

At Shot Group Photography, we create portrait experiences that help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and see your own story with new clarity.

Why?

Because people are my purpose.

After 24 years in military service, including multiple special operations deployments, I needed a new challenge—and some peace. I’m still not sure what led me to pick up a camera that first time, but I captured an image of a hawk taking off from a rock spire in Red Rock Open Space in Colorado Springs, CO. Looking at it now, it really isn’t very good—but it was the best one I had ever taken, and I was hooked. It wasn’t technically perfect—but it meant something. Over time, stalking the animals forced me to slow down, to accept that I cannot control all the variables I had tried to influence over two decades of war, and to learn to be still. After being home for a few years without deploying, photography helped me begin actually coming back. I decided to go all in.

That’s when I founded Untamed Aperture, originally as a nature photographer. But everything changed when I began an internship with award-winning photographer Shannon Squires. Watching how she worked with clients opened my eyes to what portraits could do—not just what they looked like, but how they made people feel. The way she helped people grow reminded me of my own mission as a leader and mentor.

So I went all in.

I launched Shot Group Photography to focus on fine art portraiture that gives people more than a photo—it gives them back a piece of themselves. I earned my Certified Professional Photographer credential, joined the Professional Photographers of America, and began pursuing my Master of Photography, not for the title—but to serve my clients with the highest level of technical and artistic excellence.

Because I believe in what this can do for you.

One woman in her 70s hadn’t worn a dress in 30 years. After her session, she drove straight to the store and bought one. That’s the power of seeing yourself in a new light.

In Start With Why, Simon Sinek says, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”

Here’s what I believe: My purpose is to help people find meaning. Photography is how I do it now.

Whether through portraits, teaching, or my work with the Wounded Healer Project, I’ve seen how this process can restore creativity, confidence, and self-worth—especially for people who’ve spent years giving to others, operating under pressure, or working in careers that stifle their creativity.

If you’re ready to be seen—not just captured—I’m here to guide you through a deeply personal and creative experience.

Creativity. Authenticity. Memory.