Podcasts, quitting weddings and the next chapter

My seemingly biannual blog post is here, I figured it would be a good time to chat a little bit about where things are, where they’re going and catching you up to speed whether you’re client (past or present) or someone who randomly stumbled on to my work.

P O D C A S T

If you know me, you know I love to talk. If you don’t know me, you should know that I love to talk. It only made sense to start having conversations with the creators, the “do-ers,” the ones who have forged their own path in life with their careers, pushing aside the norm of a 9-to-5 lifestyle to instead do what they love and create on their own terms. While the show is in its infancy, it will not just feature photo / videographers, but instead the people who I genuinely have curiosity in learning about more, from where they were before finding their niche, their struggles to become who they are, what makes them who they are and also how they operate on a day-to-day basis. So often it seems there are articles with morning routines of some of the most famous people, as if you can adopt those same practices and get to where they are. Sure, it helps to lay the groundwork but it is much more than that. For me, it is a journey of learning the similarities and also the differences in the guests I will speak with while also being able to explore different topics on my own; a sort of rant if you will.

The Aaron Mello Podcast can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and slowly being added to YouTube, although I don’t want to crowd that space with content other than my photo / video work.

W E D D I N G S

Some of you may have already listened to my latest episode (Episode #03) where I go a bit into why I have decided to no longer shoot weddings, pushing that up even sooner than the end of 2023. While I won’t spend too much time going over that here and would encourage you to go listen, it is simply something that has worn me down in many aspects. Sure, the 8-9-10 hour events where you are just on for the entirety of the event is one thing, the other is just that it became redundant. The couple & the location are different but the overall premise is the same and I’ve never been someone who thrived on redundancy when it came to photography. I felt (feel) like I wasn’t growing. The number of weddings I shot was increasing while my artistry remained baseline, at least in my own view. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity to flex my creative muscle rather than staying safe to get what I needed for sake of the clients gallery or film. Overall, when something doesn’t excite me like maybe it once did, I know it’s time for a change and that is exactly what I’m allowing myself to do.

Friends, family and referrals from past clients are the exception to this rule, as well as anyone who may be looking into an adventure elopement, say on the top of a mountain or in Iceland - I’m your guy. This more aligns with where my work is pivoting and there is more room for creativity, adventure and the non-traditional.

SO N O W W H A T?

“You’re not going to shoot weddings? So what are you going to do now?” It’s a valid question, especially from those who thrive on security in their jobs but the excitement (and of course the anxiety) for me is not knowing where my career will take me next. The blanket answer I’ve been offering is that I’ll be focusing more on outdoors, adventure, lifestyle work - both photo and video - as this more aligns with my core values and already-present lifestyle of being a Dad of 2 boys, spending as much time outside with them as I can and also on my own. There are brands I use and trust to keep me warm during winter hikes in New Hampshire winter, so I look to provide content for them and being able to venture out into new and different spaces of photography. Every day I sit behind a computer, using technology again that I trust, why not incorporate that more into what I document, creating content with products I own and allow me to do my job more efficiently or comfortably. This is all about continuing to adapt to the “work smarter not harder” mentality, even more important when being a freelancer.

This is in addition to still offering portraits and shooting engagement sessions but not focusing any real attention on wedding clients. I love meeting and working with new people, that will never fade, so it is important for me to continue having new faces in front of my camera in an on-going basis but having the freedom to experiment, whether that is off-camera flash for more dynamic sports subjects (see you in the Spring) or being able to make short-form films with a focus on documentaries.

I want to tell more stories and this pivot is what is going to help me accomplish that.

Sunset Maternity | Lakeville, MA

“I’m not a very photogenic person, never have been. You make me look better than my best, I really can’t get over these…”

I had the absolute pleasure of documenting another moment in the journey of life between Kat & Mitch. From their incredible rainy engagement session in May of last year, to their Maine & Massachusetts wedding just a few months later and now...

A Look Back At 2021

2021 was an incredible (and busy) year! From gender reveals and family photos to engagements and weddings, there was so much to document. With the world shifting in 2020, there was a lot to celebrate in the following year when it came to getting married! A sincere thank you and gratitude to my clients and friends alike who let me capture some incredible moments in 2021! Here’s to 2022 and all we have planned!

Sarah + Trent | Mattapoisett Wedding

Sarah & Trent were planning an intimate wedding, surrounded by just family and the closest of friends at the littlest chapel in Mattapoisett. It was a beautiful day, and a pleasure to have been a part of it in even the smallest of ways.

Kat + Mitch | Cape Cod Engagement

The first time I spoke with Kat, we instantly clicked. We had a conversation on the phone that lasted easily an hour as we spoke about all things photography, their upcoming wedding (which starts in Maine and ends in Massachusetts), family and travel. I knew it was going to be an incredibly fun session based on this initial meeting. The day blessed us with some rain as we made our way through Heritage Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. If I’m being honest, this type of weather gets me SO excited to shoot and we had such a fun time. From the first frames of the day, I knew it was going to be a good one.

Sedona, Arizona Wedding | Casey + Derek

From Cape Cod to Sedona, I was grateful enough to meet Casey & Derek in early 2020. Not only did I get to photograph their incredible oceanside engagement photos in July of 2020 but also was invited to capture their big day in Sedona Arizona. These are a handful of my personal favorites from their beautiful, tucked-in-the-woods wedding in May of 2021.

Sedona, Arizona | Pre/Post-Wedding

I was in Arizona to photograph Casey + Derek’s incredible Sedona wedding. I flew in the day before, leaving plenty of time for exploration prior to the wedding. Sedona is home to some of the best desert views in the country, with hiking to go with. Also worth noting is the different energy vortexes - each radiating its own particular energy. Vortexes are the intersections of natural electromagnetic earth energy, also known as ley lines. Whether or not you subscribe to the idea, the sites of these vortexes alone is enough to take your breath away. I was sure to check at least one off my list before returning home.

Saturday morning, I was lucky enough to snag parking at the base of Cathedral Rock, one of the most popular (and for good reason) hikes in Sedona. Getting there early also meant not enduring temperatures in the 90’s or above. About half-way up the trail, I stopped to put the drone up and get some aerial views. It gave me a moment to catch my breath and also try for some unique perspectives of this incredible location.

Sunday offered the entirety of the day to me, as the wedding was Saturday night. With the curse of choice on which mountain / hike to check out, I finally decided on Boynton Canyon. Boynton Canyon is home to one of these vortexes and quite easy to get to. I decided to plop down here for more than 2 hours, hike the immediate area, people watch and just enjoy the immense gratitude I was feeling. A couple of girls next to me caught glimpse of a guy walking up the trail, stopping people as he did. She said something like “that’s him! I hope I get one,” unsure what she was talking about.

Soon a white-haired and mustached, older gentleman approached me with a warm smile. He dug his right hand into his pocket, exclaiming that although he was almost out, he had a gift for me. He then pulled out the heart-shaped rock you see in the photo. “A gift for you, from Mother Earth. The heart symbolizes unconditional love” and continued on about the importance of both giving and allowing yourself to receive unconditional love and with that, we can change the world.

I came to learn his name was Robert and he’s quite the local celebrity. He climbed the unnamed rock knoll and played about 5-6 songs with his flute, shouting what each song was about prior. He played songs to help you with releasing something you’ve been holding on to that is not serving you, healing, and gratitude for your life, your surroundings and those you love, and so on.

Robert is an awesome human. Grateful to have crossed paths, even if just for a moment.

Nikki + Tim | Gender Reveal Plymouth MA

I first spoke to Nikki only about a week prior to her gender reveal. She was so excited to be surrounded by close friend & family for this memorable occasion where they would find out if their baby due August of this year was to be a boy or girl! Tim is a professional golfer and they had the fun idea to have him drive a color “dust” filled golfball in front of everyone to reveal the baby’s gender. Needless to say, it was a one-of-a-kind moment to document for them and we had so much fun putting this gallery together!

Stacy + Nik | Boston Winter Engagement

Boston is easily one of my favorite places to shoot, I’m lucky to live only a short drive away. Whether it’s Fall portraits in Boston Common or snowy engagement photos in Beacon Hill, the options of beautiful backdrops are endless. I met Stacy + Nik through a mutual friend of ours and after finally linking up schedules, we were able to shoot after a Friday storm left us with some fresh snow!

Oceanside Family Session | Westport, Massachusetts

I first met this beautiful family in November of 2019 for their holiday photos. It was a cold day in Boston during our shoot, although we managed to get some amazing shots alongside the greenway before heading inside for a cozy shoot. This time around, we got to enjoy time next to the ocean with perfect weather before Fall really starts to set in!