“The beauty of it is: You’ll never have it figured out.”

These are the words of my friend, mentor, and amazing photographer Gavin Rhoades after we spent about 2 hours trying to figure out how to make an edit on a few of my photos without ruining the skin tones of the subjects I was shooting. And while this is brilliant advice when it comes to creative fields and small details of images, it has also rang true when thinking about where I've been so far. As somebody in their early 20's, most people would assume that somebody like me, from the suburbs of Metro Detroit, hasn't been through too much. And some ways, this is true. I've been very blessed to have two amazing parents, extended family, a stable home and meals, good schooling, and helpful and caring friends growing up. But my bigger issue has always been not knowing exactly what my plan is most of the time. I grew up playing lacrosse my whole life, so getting a scholarship to play at Roanoke College in Virginia, felt like the accomplishment of a lifetime. In reality, it was only the accomplishment of a small portion of my life, and I was stuck not knowing where I was going to go next, and what I was going to do there. The pandemic lead me back to my home state of Michigan, playing the same sport at a new school, and being even more uncertain than before. The sudden end of my athletic career left me puzzled as to what I really wanted to do for work. This is when my dad, one of the people I look up to the most in my life, and my personal photographer for all of my sporting events my entire life, decided to put a camera in my hands. I started shooting for Davenport University's men's lacrosse team at first. I endlessly watched videos, read articles, looked at photo books, and practiced my tail off to get better and learn as much as possible. I started to hit a flow and fell in love with this craft. For the first time I felt like my creative mind was able to be on display for others to see. This was my way of showing people my ideas and telling stories, and it felt amazing to have a look of my own for once. Eventually, I ended up getting a message from Gavin, asking me if I wanted to move back to the Detroit area to shoot for the Motor City Cruise, the G League affiliate of the Pistons. As a lifelong Pistons fan, this was a no-brainer for me. I moved back home and began working, taking on new opportunities to shoot and making as many new connections as possible. Which brings me to the launching of this website, I have been so fortunate to meet new people, like WBC and IBO boxing champion Alycia Baumgardner, basketball stars like Cade Cunningham, Ben Wallace, Emoni Bates and so many more. I can't wait to continue updating this site with my work, and to find new clients in new places. Thank you for being here, and enjoy the content!

-DREW