For the last 20 years, we've called Downtown Rogers home. And during that time, we've seen restaurants come and go. The current lineup in DTR remains diverse and of a caliber that would likely straighten out Jame's Beard. But when all is said and done, the tried and true unsung culinary hero of the Downtown Rogers community has to be…

Say hello to Mavis Wine Company, a brand new and already-popular business in Downtown Rogers. Owners Jeffery and Meghan opened up the small wine shop / bodega / eating establishment recently, after moving from Los Angeles. Coming from the film industry, the two decided they needed new experiences and a somewhat slower pace of life.

We recently interviewed them for a Go Downtown Rogers social media feature and we are also sharing the photos, along with the interview here on the blog. It’s a good read and their space photographs extremely well. But if you don’t make a trip down here to try their delicious food and wine in person, you will TRULY be missing out.

(Click to read more)

Say hello to the Honeycomb Kitchen Shop (again). Awhile back, we featured them on our blog as our dear friends and business neighbors. But we recently had the opportunity to create some content for an out-of-state client who wanted to feature them on a broader stage. We spent a few hours creating video and photo content of their shop and also interviewed shop owners, Melissa Turpin and Dana Smith with the video cameras rolling. These two are passionate about what they do and they continue to find new and innovative ways to make good products and cooking knowledge readily available to everyone. This goes without saying that when you have a choice in purchasing things for your home, your kitchen and your culinary adventures, please remember to shop small and especially, to shop here.

It’s no secret that our beloved downtowns are filled with cool alleyways. And as our downtowns continue to grow and revitalize, the traffic in our alleyways is slowly increasing. Late last year, we collaborated with Downtown Rogers Inc. to turn one of our alleyways into an art gallery. The goal was to emphasize the fact that as our alleyways get more foot traffic, the need to keep them clean and safe and even make them more inviting is increasing. To make it even more personal, the art in the gallery was made up entirely of images created in that particular alleyway. Today, we’re sharing some here on the blog.

Happy #throwbackthursday

Say hello to Dandyroll. Conveniently located across the street from the studio, this quaint little shop has something for everyone. And I literally mean that. Think hip, cool, unique and carefully curated products and framed prints to give as gifts or simply to, as they say, “treat yo self.” Many people have discovered that…(click to read more)

Say hello to our next door neighbors, the hardworking architects and construction workers that are currently renovating “The Opera House”. Built in the late 1800’s, this gem-of-a-building occupies the corner block of…

Today on the blog: Say hello to a few of the men and women who proudly serve our wonderful city by working for Rogers Water Utilities. Clean water is a vital part of our lives and the men and women pictured here work very hard, oftentimes behind the scenes, to make sure our city has the highest quality water and the best infrastructure for delivering that water. Drink up!

Piggybacking off of last October’s post of recent headshots, today I’m sharing some more. As always, thanks to the wonderful clients that allow me to create their professional portraits while simultaneously talking about life and telling the only two jokes that I know. If anyone has any new jokes, please submit them here.

Cheers!

6 years ago when I first started this series, Carl Walter was the first person I featured and he will forever be the toughest act to follow. I would try to sum up my experience in talking with him if I could. But you just can’t summarize a 3 hour long conversation filled with humble beginnings and war stories and everything in between, so here’s a link to go back and read it for yourself.

Fast forward to today, where Aaron and Kim Walter have

Almost directly across the street from the studio is The Rusty Chair, an eclectic store filled with cool vintage finds, unique decor and…well…to be quite honest, stuff you never thought you’d see. Take for example the…

Lake Atalanta is special to me because I live and work in such close proximity to the park, that I am there almost everyday, either running or riding my bike on the trails. I recently had the opportunity to create some abstract imagery of the area for a proposed art installation and I had a blast doing it. Here’s a few of my favorites. Enjoy.

Today, I am wishing my dear friends and next-door business neighbors a fond farewell and happy retirement. Trolley Line Bookshop was a local favorite long before I moved in next door. This was largely due to the personable owners, Pat and Myra Moran who never tired of making friends and involving themselves in the community for the better of everyone. Their shop had the cozy and quaint feel of a neighborly downtown business because it was genuine and not manufactured and their presence (as well as their incredible selection of interesting reads) will be sorely missed. Cheers and Best Wishes, you two and thanks for everything. 

** View a previous blog post about their shop here **

A heartfelt thank you to all of the newlyweds who invited me into their lives and made me (and my cameras) a part of their celebrations. This blog post contains some of my favorite wedding and engagement images from the year. Cheers and Happy New Year.

A heartfelt thank you to all of my friends and clients who made 2017 such a memorable year. This blog post contains some of my favorite commercial and lifestyle images from 2017. I couldn't pick just a few favorites, so there's a lot. Send me your medical bills for injuries related to excessive scrolling and Have a Happy New Year. 

Congratulations to Hunter and Lesley. These two recently celebrated their wedding in Downtown Rogers. Their celebration was spread out over the course of two days, beginning with a small, intimate ceremony held in a beautiful and historic old church. After a few pictures together, the couple joined their wedding guests at Levi's Gastrolounge and Low Bar for dinner and dancing. The celebration continued Saturday night with a larger celebration for extended family friends held at Ozark Beer Company. The original plan was to setup outside but due to cold temperatures, the kind folks at Ozark Beer decided to rearrange their entire space to accommodate everyone indoors. This was of course no small task, but the results were incredible. This was my last wedding for the year and definitely one of my all-time favorites. 

Thanks to everyone for another wonderful year of weddings and enjoy the photos. 

The historic downtown areas of Northwest Arkansas are alive with revitalization and growth. And thanks to the wonderful people at Highstreet Development and Stronghold NWA, a rather large building in downtown Rogers is poised to be a huge part of that process. Formerly known as "The Dollar Saver Building, the large structure is in the process of being gutted, cleaned out and outfitted for a number of retail and living spaces. A large portion of the building is slated to be the new home of Onyx Coffee's production and day-to-day operations while also housing a coffee shop. There are also rumors of an upscale restaurant, a bakery, a craft cocktail bar and loft apartments being planned for the structure. I was hired by Highstreet Development to photograph the building in its current state. Enjoy the tour. 

12 years ago when we moved into our Downtown Rogers home, I made a personal project of creating some images of the downtown area for decoration in our house. One of the images that's been sitting in our house for those 12 years is this framed image of 116 E Walnut Street. There was something about the simple doorway, the handwritten street number scotch-taped to the door's window and the mailbox firmly planted in the flowerpot next to the doorway that somehow, made the place interesting to me. To this day, it's still one of my favorites because it hasn't really changed all that much. I'm sure in years to come, it'll be developed into something cool and functional. That mailbox though....that shouldn't change at all. 

For years, I've had the idea in my head to make a video for Novo Studio. The idea for the video was inspired by a voicemail message I created years ago that, in my mind, accurately describes why I would not be answering my phone. And to have a video that started from the voicemail message and then, journeyed into my life as a photographer and as a person seemed to make sense. Plus, I could put some music to it and avoid the awkward challenge of talking about myself and my business. 

But of course, life happened and with an incredibly busy season and twins, my idea remained an idea until I decided to take a creative sabbatical. When writing out my sabbatical bucket list, the creation of this video went right to the top and with the help of my dear friends and creative colleagues and my wife, I am happy to (FINALLY) share this video with you. Many thanks to Bryan Fittin, Jason Miller, Murray Williams and Kristen Thomas for making this whole thing possible. Enjoy. 

Engagement photos are always fun. And of course it's extra fun when you find and abandoned shopping cart during your adventures. Thanks for a fun-filled afternoon, you two and Congrats!

Say hello to the Honeycomb Kitchen Shop. A newer establishment in the Downtown Rogers, area, Honeycomb is everything you will love about a boutique kitchen shop with a few added bonuses...