Modern Fatherhood In America

September 12, 2017

Seeing a personal project turn into a commissioned assignment is any photographer's dream come true. With my ongoing Dad Time series, I really love seeing how parents and their children interact. They have their own language, complex history, and an incredible bond of love that informs their interactions. When shooting, I like to capture both found moments in a documentary style and also directed moments that speak to my view of parenting as a whole. When Fatherly approached me about contributing to their 'Fatherhood In America' series — this time real dads in Seattle and LA — I was pumped. The project was sponsored by Honda, and we were asked to focus on real dads in real life scenarios - no product needed.

Since we had to personally coordinate with the majority of dads, I started where I usually do — social media. We asked dads from previous shoots in California for referrals, as well as friends and acquaintances on Facebook. We also searched hashtags and did general Google searches to locate a diverse group of Dads for this project. The ask was to shoot 16 Dads over three days in two cities. The client wanted a the dads to have a diverse range of jobs, income levels, and ethnicities. With help from Seattle native, Matt Lowe, we were able to line up a total of 18 Dads for the project. We had anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour and a half to photograph dads with their kids and conduct a short interview. And of course we had to account for nap times. Matt also captured video for a short motion piece that accompanied the story. You can see the finished stills piece here and video here. A huge thank you goes out to all the dads we were able to meet and everyone who helped connect us and make this possible. Enjoy!

Dad Time Iceland - Ragnar Hansson

September 08, 2017

Ragnar Hansson is a filmmaker, director, comedian, graphic designer, and podcaster born and raised in Iceland. He has two daughters, Akira Maja (3.5) and Ripley Anna (6). They invited us to Nauthólsvík, a geothermal beach near Reykjavik for a chilly dip, playtime, and a picnic.

While we were exploring the beach, he explained to us that it's not permitted to use names for your children that are not already on the list of official Icelandic names. Since he is a self described sci-fi geek, he petitioned the government to have Akira (of the Japanese anime movie) and Ripley (of Sigourney Weaver's character in the Alien movies) added to the list. Lucky for these two unique girls, Mannanafnanefnd (the Icelandic Naming Committee) approved his request.

Twin brothers Björn and Stefán waking up at the cafe after their outdoor naps.

Dad time Iceland - Björn Thors

September 07, 2017

When we asked each father what is the best thing about raising kids in Iceland, there was a unanimous answer — they feel completely safe here. Police officers don't carry firearms and crime is extremely low. No wonder parents bring their baby monitors to cafes in case their little ones wake up while sleeping outside comfortably bundled up in their strollers.

Björn Thors is an actor and father of four kids — Dagur (10), Bryndis (5), and twin sons, Björn and Stefán (5 months). He took the twins and Bryndis out for lunch at Kaffihús Vesturbæjar near their home in Reykjavik. The twins napped in their stroller and they all took a walk in the brisk August wind illustrating why Icelandic sweaters are typically worn year-round. Björn and his wife are both actors and juggle time with their kids and time for work together. I was impressed at how well they were managing life with four kids in Reykjavik, considering it's currently one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Björn Thors checks on his twin babies while he and his five-year-old daughter, Bryndis, have lunch at a cafe near their home in Reykjavik.

Valtýr Gunnarsson's daughter Freyja throws rocks into the lake near the family's summer house in Laugarvatn

Dad Time Iceland - Valtyr Gunnarsson

September 06, 2017

Valtýr Gunnarsson is an IT consultant and father to daughters Freyja Sunna (4) and Svana Ásdís (2). He and his wife have a summer house in Laugarvatn, a small town east of Reykjavik where Valtýr primarily grew up (after living in Wisconsin and Ann Arbor for a few years where his parents were studying).

We first met Valtýr and the girls at the Laugarvatn Fontana where they played along the shore before picnicking in the hills of the mountain behind their summer house. They have a deep familial connection to the land there, as it is where Valtýr's father was born and where his grandfather farmed the land. They love being able to take their kids out on hikes exploring the hills, just like Valtýr did throughout his childhood.

Both Freyja and Svana were born in London, where their mother is from. About a year ago, Valtýr and his wife moved back to Iceland in order to raise their girls in a more family friendly environment. For most of the year they live in Reykjavik, but during the summer — like most Icelanders — they take advantage of the beautiful weather and long hours of sunlight as much as possible at their idyllic summer house.

Anthony and his daughter, Mía, floating in the Blue Lagoon.

Dad Time Iceland - Anthony Bacigalupo

September 06, 2017

Anthony Bacigalupo is an American-born artist, entrepreneur, and photographer. Together with his Icelandic wife, Ýr Káradóttir, they have a four year-old daughter, Mía Isabella, and eight-month-old son, Úlfur Antonio. They live in the small harbor town of Hafnarfjörður just south of Reykjavik, and are the owners and designers of Reykjavík Trading Co. where they produce small-batch, handcrafted goods from Iceland with a California influence.

We first met up with Anthony and Mía at the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Because of abundant hydroelectric and geothermal power throughout the country, Iceland runs almost entirely on renewable energy. After a relaxing time floating in the geothermal seawater, we headed to Anthony's beautifully curated home and took a rainy stroll along the sea to their favorite local bakery for an afternoon coffee and snack.

Daníel Valur holds onto Agúst's legs in the kitchen while they play after dinner

Dad Time Iceland - Sæþór Randalsson and Ágúst Karlsson

September 05, 2017

In early August, my team and I took Dad Time over to Iceland where we had the incredible opportunity to photograph five dads and their kids. This is the second international installment of the project, and I love seeing the cultural influences apparent in different parenting styles. Our first story from Iceland is about American ex-pat, Sæþór Randalsson, and his Icelandic husband, Ágúst Karlsson, who live in Reykjavik with their son, Daníel Valur.

Sæþór Randalsson is a stay-at-home Dad and 3D artist, while his husband Ágúst Karlsson is a software developer. They shared with us that their path to fatherhood was through finding a surrogate from Australia. She became a great friend of theirs, and with her help they were able to have a son who today loves cars, airplanes, and dinosaurs. We were lucky enough to spend the entire day with them, documenting their daily routine of riding via bicycle to playschool, an afterschool adventure to the sea, dinnertime, and getting ready for bed.

When talking about their decision on which school to send their son to, Sæþór explained that their are no bad schools in Iceland and that they chose a playschool near their home that also had other students with same-sex parents. He also shared that he feels much safer expressing affection toward his partner while in public in Iceland when compared to the United States. He feels completely safe holding hands in public here, without the need to first check his surroundings as he might have done in the United States. This was one of the many stories we heard about the incredible sense of community and welcoming culture of Iceland.

Daníel Valur climbs on Sæþór while the two are playing after school.

Calumet Fisheries

August 01, 2017

Im excited to finally share this project that has been in the works for some time now. We have a video component for this piece as well which can be found in the motion section of my portfolio.

Established in 1928 at 95th St and the South Side bridge made famous by The Blues Brothers, Calumet Fisheries is one of the only smokehouses in Chicago still smoking fish the old fashioned way. There are only three ingredients in their incredible recipe -- salt, spices, and hours of smoke from oak logs.

Calumet is still run by the Kotlick-Toll family, boasting an incredible menu of both smoked and fried fish. You'll find everything from Lake Trout to salmon, and sturgeon to eel on their menu. Generations of customers visit from across state lines. If you have not yet experienced this local gem, you are more than missing out. And as an added bonus, they're open every day of the year except New Year's, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Anchor Bolt Capital

July 13, 2017

There's nothing we love more than a gorgeous new space to act as the backdrop for new branding images. Anchor Bolt Capital invited us to 444 W Lake Street for a few days to create new portrait and lifestyle images of their executives for their website redesign. We felt continuously inspired by the positive energies both the executives and stylish office brought to the shoot. Here are a few of our favorite images.

Producer: Trevor Power
Assistants: Leah Fithian, Sarah Nadolski
DIT: Elaine Miller