Hello. Happy You’re Here.
Get to know Daniel Wesley
I fell in love with photography in high school.
It was a black and white film class, and technically, I didn’t turn in a single assigned project. Instead, during class I was always in the darkroom working on my own projects. Experimenting. Messing things up. Watching images slowly appear in the tray. I was hooked.
My teacher definitely noticed. I probably deserved to fail but she gave me a C, not because I followed directions, but because she saw how invested I was.
That same year I became a yearbook photographer and realized I loved real moments way more than posed ones. The in-between stuff. The genuine stuff.
My first job at a movie theater took me on a little detour to film school, then to Los Angeles. I liked LA and learned a lot about storytelling through imagery, but I loved photographing real people more. Real connection always meant more to me than perfectly staged scenes.
Feeling a bit lost and wanting change I ventured to Portland, Oregon. I fell in love with the forests and the way light moves through trees. I did not fall in love with the nine months of rain. Eventually, after many rain soaked winters, sunshine finally won out. So I traded my rain boots for flip-flops and my sun lamp for sunscreen.
Now I call Orange County home. I live with my girlfriend and our two rad kitties, Samantha and Noodles, and we’re planning to add a tiny human to the mix soon.
The older I get, the more I understand how fast seasons change. Kids grow. Personalities shift. The little things you swear you’ll never forget somehow blur.
That’s why I do this. To capture this moment in time. In all it’s glory and imperfection.
I believe the best photos happen when people feel relaxed and free to be themselves. No stiff poses. No outfits you’ll never wear again. Just your family, exactly as you are right now.
