Moments and Miles: A Look Back at Summer 2024

Back in May, we kicked off the season with a post titled "Summer 2024: Moments, Not Miles." 

The mission? Shift gears and focus less on cycling and more on building the wedding and engagement side of Red Family Photo. While I’ve had fun using photography to justify traveling all over Texas and Arkansas following mountain bike race series, it’s time for RFP to become something that can one day support our family. Well, spoiler alert: we definitely made some strides in that direction!

Enter: The Wife. The Boss. 

This summer marked a huge turning point for RFP because Dani, who I’ve been lucky to call my wife for almost 12 years now, was able to join me nearly 100% of the time. Thanks to a bit of magic (and the kids becoming semi-self-sufficient), she was right by my side as we turned our focus toward a new chapter in our photography journey: connecting with couples. From offering free engagement shoots to hearing love stories that had us tearing up behind the camera (I won’t lie, I’m kind of a big crybaby when it comes to love stories), we spent the summer building relationships and laying the foundation for RFP’s future in wedding photography.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we gave up on the bike stuff entirely—I’m still me, after all—but the heart of our summer was about creating moments with couples and helping them capture their own.

The best part? A lot of the changes you’ve seen at RFP over the past few months are thanks to Dani’s hard work and creativity. She’s not only my partner in life but also the driving force behind how RFP is evolving into something bigger and better.

And as for that whole "moments, not miles" thing? We stuck to it... kinda. 

We might have made a trip out to Palo Duro Canyon for the 24 Hours in the Canyon race, and we might have driven an hour every Thursday for DFW Summer Series. And sure, we've got trips to Idaho and Florida on the horizon this fall for some amazing weddings. 

But this summer marked a huge turning point for RFP in building something that will last.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe how much we packed into just a few months. From heartwarming engagement shoots to exciting events, here’s a glimpse into what kept us busy this summer.

24 Hours in the Canyon: Cycling, Photos, and Starry Skies

We kicked the summer off with a trip to Palo Duro Canyon for the 24 Hours in the Canyon race. For those unfamiliar, it’s a grueling, adrenaline-packed race where riders loop through the stunning (and sometimes punishing) canyon terrain for, you guessed it, 24 hours straight. It’s one part endurance test, one part mental battle, and a whole lot of camaraderie.

Dani even joined in on the action, because why just take pictures when you can suffer on a bike too, right?

But apart from Dani’s short break from the camera to partake in the race, the real focus for us was capturing the incredible determination of the cyclists, all while raising over $700 for a foundation supporting cancer survivors. It was both inspiring and exhausting (and that’s just from our side of the camera!).

Beyond race itself, we also turned this trip into a little camping adventure. We spent three nights under the stars—seriously, the lack of light pollution out there was something else. Just endless skies full of stars that made you fall in love with the park even more. That is, until the skies decided to open up and give us an unexpected shower one night. Nothing says adventure like sleeping in the truck cab to avoid torrential downpour, right? But honestly, even with the rain, we fell head over heels for Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It was the perfect mix of natural Texas beauty, community, and, of course, lots of cycling.

Free Engagement Shoots: A Story Behind Every Couple

In mid-June, we decided to take a leap and offer free engagement sessions to couples in our local and wedding communities. What started out as a way to build our portfolio quickly turned into something much more special. Sure, we wanted to fill our galleries with beautiful photos, but what we didn’t expect was how much fun we’d have meeting new couples and hearing their stories. Every couple we met had their own unique journey that brought them together. I have said time and time again that photography is all about telling a story and hearing the stories of the people we met inspired us to take our work behind the lens to the next level. 

Another unexpected turn with these shoots is that they also turned out to be a great way for couples to get to know us. 

Let’s face it—choosing a wedding photographer can be a little daunting. These free sessions allowed people to see what it's like to work with us, in a low-pressure, fun environment. We even had a few couples tell us afterward that they had no idea taking photos could be so relaxed and enjoyable. And while we’re not here to toot our own horn... we did get several glowing reviews, with couples saying how much fun we were to work with. (Okay, maybe we’ll toot the horn just a little.)

In fact, we enjoyed it so much that free engagement sessions may just become a permanent part of RFP. Connecting with people and hearing their love stories was the unexpected highlight of our summer, and we’re excited to keep that going.

Website Overhaul: A New Look for Red Family Photo

When we weren’t meeting with couples, we started a massive project to overhaul the RFP website. 

What started out as a simple blog has officially evolved into a full-fledged website, and we couldn’t be more excited to show it off! Gone are the days when our site was just a place to toss up a few words and photos—now it’s a space where we proudly display our work, share stories, and connect with couples in a way that truly feels like us.

But let me tell you, this transformation didn’t happen by accident. Dani and I spent countless hours, late nights, and more than a few energy drink runs tweaking every detail – whether it was finding the right words, choosing images that tell our story, or perfecting every aspect of our design. 

One thing I didn’t expect from this part of our journey was how exciting it was to put my tech career knowledge to work writing custom code to get the RFP website looking, feeling, and functioning exactly the way we envisioned. While Dani was busy scribbling in a notebook in search of the right words, more than once I found myself hunched over my keyboard going through a bunch of trial and error. But hey, it worked, and we couldn’t have pulled it off without a few nerdy late nights.

Our Kids and Cameras

This summer wasn’t just about weddings and cycling—we also got to share our love for photography with our kids. Seeing them discover the joy of capturing moments made this season even more memorable for us as a family.

Our son Cody was our sidekick at the DFW Summer Series. Cody came with us to several of these Thursday night races, soaking in the action both on the trails and behind the lens. What was really touching, though, was when other kids participating in the race would come up to Cody, asking him to take their photo. Seeing him step into that role, camera in hand, and capture those moments for them was one of those proud parenting moments you don’t forget.

Later on, our daughter (who’s had a camera for a while but never really joined us on these adventures because bikes weren’t her thing) decided she wanted to dive in, too. It started with her taking pictures of some cool cloud formations—simple, right? But soon enough, she was playing around with shutter speeds and having way too much fun making Dani run back and forth across the road to experiment with motion blur.

We even took her on a photo walk through Downtown Fort Worth to let her explore more with the camera. Watching her excitement grow with every shot was the perfect reminder of why we love what we do. It’s not just about taking pictures; it’s about seeing the world in a new way—and passing that passion on to the next generation made this summer extra special.

Moving Toward Sustainability

Looking back at everything we’ve done this summer, it’s kind of crazy to see how monumental these past few months have been for Red Family Photo. From connecting with amazing couples through our free engagement sessions, hanging out at the DFW Summer Series, to overhauling our website and teaching our kids the ropes of photography—it’s been a whirlwind, but an incredibly rewarding one.

What really stands out, though, is how much this season has shown us that RFP is more than just a business. It’s a growing passion that’s steadily becoming a sustainable future for our family. We’re not just capturing moments anymore; we’re building something lasting, something we can truly rely on.

And as we look forward, our work this summer has opened the door to exciting opportunities—both in cycling and wedding photography. For the first time, it feels like this dream of making Red Family Photo a full-time business that supports our family isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s actually within reach, and we couldn’t be more excited for what comes next.