Aury (pronounced or-ee)

I live nestled in the woods near New London, MN with my wife, daughter, and dog. Photography is more or less my full time job, but since Minnesota has an off-season I occasionally use my degree in computer science. My last notable projects were an app for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS called Pixel Paint/Dot Paint (dependent on region) and some extensions for Photoshop to assist in editing and color grading. That said, every year my photography takes up more and more of my time, which I don't mind one bit! I love my job. There's nothing more gratifying than perfectly bottling up an entire wedding, preserving the day forever, or showing a teen just how beautiful/handsome they actually are.

Just so you can get to know me better, here are some quick notes about me:

  • I walk on a treadmill when I'm editing photos. It's the only way to keep the Oreo-weight at bay.
  • My favorite movies and TV shows all have 'Star' in them. Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate...I'm a bit of a geek.
  • My friends and I regularly play a videogame (Age of Empires II) from 1999 against each other, which totally tracks with the previous point.
  • I love to read. In fact, I love it so much that I read pretty infrequently as I have a hard time getting stuff done while engrossed in a book. Fantasy and sci-fi are my genres of choice which also tracks with my previous, previous point.

My Wife, Tara

Tara assists me at most of my weddings and is also usually my second shooter when one is requested. She's a financial analyst, and what she actually does at her job is anyone's guess. Numbers! Spreadsheets! Reports!

When she's not doing incomprehensible things to numbers in Excel she loves to travel, go on walks/hikes, tend to her garden, and forage for edible mushrooms.

I love her completely and for some reason that I've yet to figure out she feels the same about me.

Alara

As of writing (in the spring of 2022), Alara is nearly 6 months old. She's nearly always happy, giggly, and loves to try and grab Cinder...which is only fair as Cinder licks her any chance she gets.

We're still adjusting to life with a baby, but we're told we've been very lucky. She's been sleeping through the night since she was 10 weeks old and is rarely fussy.

The teeth, however, are yet to come.

Cinder

Cinder was a stray found in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere back when she was still just a puppy. Now she lives out her life attempting to rule our woods with an iron jaw, lounging way too close to a space heater for way too long, and asking for constant belly scratches.

Being part terrier she'll chase anything that will run away from her, including at least one coyote and a deer with a nearby fawn. The latter was a mistake.

How she's survived 11 years is anyone's guess. It might be luck, but I like to think it's shear tenacity.