My first Fearless Award win in 2024

This fall has been an absolute whirlwind, and I’ve loved every minute of it! I’ve been traveling all over Montana, capturing weddings, documenting families, and photographing sports teams. It’s been a busy season, but the energy and excitement have been incredible.

One of the biggest highlights of the past month was winning a Fearless Award, and let me tell you—it’s still sinking in! For those who don’t know, Fearless Awards are some of the most prestigious accolades in wedding photography. They’re incredibly tough to win—around 10,000 photos are submitted in each round, and only 1-3% are selected. That means only the absolute best of the best are showcased. If you haven’t checked out their website yet, you should—it’s a goldmine of insane talent from photographers across the globe. Being included among them is such an honor, and honestly, I’m still pinching myself!

The story behind this particular photo makes it even more memorable for me. On the day of the wedding, I was dealing with some technical challenges—my main camera was acting up, so I had to switch to my backup body. The kicker? My backup camera isn’t great with autofocus when I’m using flash, so I was working entirely with manual focus. If that wasn’t enough, right before the shot, a guest stopped me to ask a question.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the couple going into a dip, and I instinctively swung my camera around just in time to capture the moment. I barely had time to think, but as soon as I clicked the shutter, I thought to myself, If this photo is in focus, it’s going to be an absolute banger.

Turns out, it was more than just a banger—it became an award-winning shot! It’s moments like these that remind me why I love photography. Even when the day throws curveballs, those fleeting, magical moments make it all worthwhile.