Story-Obsessed
I think that if I'm asking for you to trust me with a day that's so personal, you deserve me to be just as open with you
This page is less focused on keywords that pop for a google search, and more focused on the experiences that have made me. If you want to know your wedding photographer as a person and not just a vendor, here's me laying it all out.
Quick Hits
01.
Where are you From?
Born in Arizona, grew up in northern Virginia, went to school in Boston, made Richmond home as an adult. I've got ties to all of them, but RVA is absolutely home.
02.
How did you start photo?
I didn't have a camera growing up, I jumped at taking event photos for the yearbook though. Turns out, that was foreshadowing for my 20s and finally getting my hands on a camera of my own.
03.
Why Weddings?
I worked as venue/catering staff throughout my undergrad years in Boston. That's where I learned how much enjoy the combo of planning + improv that makes a wedding great.
04.
So... Gay?
I don't know why you're asking it this way, but yes, I am a card-carrying member of the alphabet mafia. I didn't realize I was bi till my early 20s, and family support was never a question!
Boston MA, 2015
I finish high school in Arlington, VA and head to Boston, attending college studying Sociology at Northeastern University. Boston is cold, both in temperature and in folks' demeanor. I get used to the temperature.
Boston & NYC, 2019
I meet my partner in fall of 2019 because of Twitter (RIP) and Dungeons & Dragons. We fall in love quickly, which is confusing because they live in New York, and I wanna move back South.
Arlington VA, 2020
I come home in 2020 to finish my undergrad degree remotely. For their safety, my partner leaves New York to tag along. They encourage me to take a leap of faith and make a listing for my photography on the web for the first time.
Richmond VA, 2020
Fast forward a few months, and they're in love with Virginia now too. Jess is finally out of a lease in Brooklyn, so we rent an old house in Richmond. We get a Christmas tree that's Jess' first live one. I work on a masters degree while my hair gets longer and longer.
Richmond, 2021
I photograph some small, masked weddings until the vaccine becomes available. I get some fun summer and fall weddings while I work my new job with the state government. Jess is able to navigate the complex healthcare requirements and schedule top surgery - and the results immediately create joy.
Richmond, 2022
We have a hectic 2022, filled with illnesses, hard times, and job loss. The wedding industry keeps me afloat, and we make great friends. I do my best to bring the big smiles and eye for photography to every gig. We round out the year in a house we've made our own, in a city we've fallen in love with. And we finally bring home a non-foster pet, Speckles
Richmond, 2023
2023 is, frankly, brutally hard. Between some rough physical injuries and trying to split running a photography business with searching for a full time role, things aren't clicking. Despite that, it's really the year we find our people and feel like we finally have roots down in Richmond.
Richmond, 2024
2024 is here and with it is an important development - taking the leap and making Bowler Images my full-time pursuit. Is it terrifying? Yes. Have I learned I'm built for this work and truly love it? Also yes.
Richmond, 2025
2025 felt like a rollercoaster of negative world developments. Despite that, there were still lovely things happening. Year 2 of full-timing things went smoothly and I even brought on a mentee when they reached out to me. Oh, and Jess and I got engaged!
Richmond, 2026
The year we got hitched! We tied the knot the way more and more couples are these days; a small ceremony to get things done legally in the immediacy, and time for a larger celebration when life isn't quite as busy. On that note...
Portland ME, 2026
We're both New Englanders again! I'm wildly proud of Jess for chasing law school down, and I'm ready to go full Mainer. Got myself a wildlife lens, I'm starting to x-mark the islands I want to hit, and the scar I got in Acadia a decade ago is itching. Now we just need to make some friends and put down some roots. After so much uncertainty for so long, it's exciting to know where we'll be for at least a few years. But Virginia is still home, and I'll be back and forth to keep working there - I want to keep the ties we made in our Richmond years fresh. There's too many great folks we love and great memories yet to come in our river city.
I'm a lucky guy.
The pictures below are just some of the shots that captured life for me and Jess and our community. I'd be a fool to take things for granted because I am somehow above water working as an artist, full time! In the past 7(!) years I've met my spouse and rebuilt my life & the plans I had for it. The 18-year-old shipping up to Boston never would have imagined his life would look like it does now. That being said- everyone in our generation had their lives radically shifted by Covid-19, so I know I'm not alone in recognizing the challenges, lost opportunities, and constant concern the pandemic (that's not over!) brought with it. Like a lot of us though, Jess and I are holding our heads high as we carve out our place in the world.
Solidarity Forever,
Dan
