About
Hey! I'm Darien
With the lights dimmed and the candles glowing on the cake, we all sang a slightly off-key but perfect version of “Happy Birthday.” As we held out the final note, my grandpa suddenly jumped up, pulled my grandma close, and kissed her on the cheek. It was more affection than I had ever seen him show, and in that instant, I pressed the shutter.
Looking back at that photo, I realized how powerful it is to capture the emotion and energy of a fleeting moment. With my grandparents’ health and memory starting to fade, the value of preserving authentic memories became clear to me—not just for myself, but for anyone who wants to hold onto their story.
Photography has always been part of my family. Since the 1940s, the walls of my grandparents’ house were lined with images, each one holding a piece of our history. It wasn’t long before I picked up a camera of my own.
The turning point came at my grandma’s 80th birthday. I was still figuring out how to use my camera, documenting the celebration, when I caught that moment between my grandparents. It’s stayed with me ever since, shaping my path and showing me that this is what I was meant to do.
That day, I knew every couple deserved to have their story told with the same honesty and emotion.
When you look back at your wedding photos—whether it’s one year later or twenty—I want you to feel the same love, joy, and connection you felt in those moments. Not just who you love, but why you love them.
MY PHILOSOPHY: DO ONE THING, AND DO IT EXCEPTIONALLY WELL
A Day in the Life of Darien — Traveler, Creator, Experientialist
I enjoy quite a wide variety of experiences that life has to offer.
One of my absolute FAVORITE things to do is travel to new places. So far I've traveled between 4 different countries, and have been to 16 different states across the U.S. Experiencing different habitats, cultures, and food has always expanded my appreciation for the world we live in.
I love building and modifying cars! Right now I'm on my 8th car, a 2017 VW GTI. I don't go to many car meets or shows, but I love seeing what we can do on the track!
Bowling is something I used to be overly competitive about... but hey, I have a high score of 265 so I feel like I did something right. Buuuut some people don't consider bowling a "real" sport... so I picked up Muay Thai. After a hard day's work in the office, you can find me sweating out the stress training at the local dojo.
One of my more recent addictions is scuba diving! It's literally a whole new world under the sea (please don't sue me, Disney...). But for real. It's so relaxing and there's some really cool stuff to see.
