Childs Schmidt Family Portrait
I had a great time getting to photograph my former high school Spanish teacher and her family on the McIreland Trail in Clare, Michigan.
Hayley
I had great time getting to work with model Hayley again in July! Shoots with Hayley are always incredibly fun. During this shoot we wanted to cover Hayley in paint for some of the images. We saw some other artists painting in the park so Hayley ran over and recruited one of them to help paint her. Huge thanks to Project Jai Creative Space for being willing to help with the shoot and to Hayley’s friend Kat for helping assist.
Art Walk Central 2021
My portrait of model Tiffany will be on display at the Isabella Community Credit Union in Mt Pleasant for this year’s Art Walk Central until September 4th. For more information on Art Walk Central and to vote for your favorite artists visit https://www.artreachcenter.org/art-walk-central
Justin and Rachel Wedding
I had a great time photographing Justin and Rachel’s wedding in Remus, Michigan. During the wedding a tornado touched down near Remus and the power went out briefly. Despite these inconveniences Justin and Rachel had a beautiful wedding and I’m thankful to have been part of it.
Brad and Bailey Engagement Session
I had a great time getting to photograph Brad and Bailey’s engagement session at Empire Bluff. Can’t wait to photograph their wedding next year!
Tiffany Poison Ivy
I had great time getting to work with model Tiffany again for this super Poison Ivy themed shoot.
Mathew and Gabby Wedding
I had a great time getting to photograph Matt and Gabby’s wedding at The Venue at 501 in downtown Clare, Michigan in May! The wedding was originally planned for 2020 but got postponed due to covid. It felt great getting to shoot with my second shooter Nikki again. They had a beautiful wedding and loved getting to document it.
Four Leaf Brewery
I had a great time working with the Four Leaf Brewery for some new images for their social media presence. Stop by the next time your in Clare, Michigan!
Chase Engel and The Nightshift
I had a great time working with Chase and Engel and The Nightshift again! Looking forward to the second album coming out.
Tyler and Kayla Engagement Session
I had a great time photographing Tyler and Kayla on their family farm outside of Clare, Michigan back in May. Can’t wait to photograph their wedding in the fall!
Jake and Angel Engagement Session
I had a great time getting to photograph Jake and Angel’s engagement session at Nelson and Island Park in Mt Pleasant, Michigan. Can’t wait to photograph their wedding later in the year!
Wayne and Jessica Wedding
I had a great time getting to photograph Wayne and Jessica’s wedding at The Riverwalk in Gladwin, Michigan in late February.
Ceremony
Flower girl
Reception
2020 A Year in Review
Tom and Coi Wedding
2020 started with me just moving back to Clare, Michigan from Tampa, Florida. In 2019 I had moved to Tampa for a long distance relationship that didn’t work out. I had turned down several 2020 weddings in Michigan due to thinking I would be living in Florida. When getting back to Michigan I had about half of the photography jobs lined up for the new year that I typically do.
The first months of the year were spent searching for a day job in addition to photography. In March I got hired as an in home caregiver for a friend of mine’s grandfather, Bud. I loved this job and Bud and I became good friends. Bud had a stroke in late June and passed away in July. In late July I got hired as a part time Direct Care Worker for a company in Mt Pleasant. I stayed there for a couple months till I took on a Direct Care Worker position elsewhere in Mt Pleasant offering more hours. In late December I got covid-19 and am currently in quarantine with mild symptoms.
Marci and Jeff Chadwick
My first shoot of the year was for Health Monitor just prior to everything shutting down due to the pandemic. This editorial shoot featured former NFL player Jeff Chadwick and his friend Marcy.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic several weddings I had lined up for 2020 where postponed or canceled. My next wedding wasn’t till June and had changed drastically since the consultation a year prior. The wedding was shifted to outside and had social distancing.
Dan Headshot
A week later I got to do a headshot shoot with Dan, a local dentist. We had been trying to work together since just before the pandemic.
Model Tiffany
In July I got to work with model Tiffany again who I had worked with in previous years.
Joe and Marie Wedding
Brandon and Ciera Wedding
Charlie and Danielle Wedding
Rommel and Tiffany Wedding
Clayton and Alexis Wedding
I got to photograph two weddings each month from August to October. These weddings were all over the state ranging from Alpena to Grand Rapids with some closer to home in Clare and Mt Pleasant.
Justin and Lauren Wedding
Jesse and Aleeshia Engagement Session
Also in October I got to photograph a very fun engagement session at Dave and Buster’s in Kentwood.
Liberty Senior Portrait
In early November I got to use the back of Four Leaf Brewing for a senior portrait session and had a proposal documentary at Dow Gardens in early December.
Conrad Proposal
Outside of work I’ve been able to pursue several hobbies this year including making my own kombucha, gardening, lots of reading, and learning how to cook. I’m hoping to pursue beekeeping and homebrewing in the upcoming year.
I have no idea what 2021 will bring, but Ryan Watkins Photography will still be open and offering weddings, portraits, and fine art prints in Clare, Michigan.
Conrad Proposal Documentary
I had a great time getting to photograph Conrad’s proposal documentary in early December at Dow Gardens!
My Favorite Images From My First Decade Of Photography
Raccoon, Grand Rapids, Michigan 2009
This was the first image I was really happy with. After taking this photo I decided I wanted to become a professional photographer.
Nuthatch, Clare, Michigan 2010
This nuthatch hanging from my parent’s bird feeder would go on to be published in Audubon, Nature’s Best Photography, and The World of Photography Bookazine.
Mountain, Field, British Columbia, Canada 2011
This mountain peak photographed on the border of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It would later be published in Outdoor Photographer Magazine.
Bryana, Turners Falls, Massachusetts 2013
This studio portrait of model Bryanna was photographed while I was a student at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls, Massachusetts.
Eli and Edythe Broad Art Building, East Lansing, Michigan 2013
This architectural image was photographed while I was home on spring break during my studies at the Hallmark Institute of Photography. It was later used in catalogs promoting the school.
Feona, Bernardston, Massachusetts 2013
This pet portrait was shot during my studies at the Hallmark Institute of Photography.
Ciara, Clare, Michigan 2013
This portrait of Ciara was shot in downtown Clare, Michigan at night. I used off camera flash to mimic the street light.
Ian, Harrison, Michigan 2013
This image of welder and art teacher Ian was photographed in Harrison, Michigan for the 515 Gallery.
Church of Daniel’s Band Pine Branch, Midland, Michigan 2014
This image was commissioned by the Church of Daniel’s Band during the winter in 2014.
Jason and Rachael, Grand Haven, Michigan 2014
This engagement session was done on the ice on Lake Michigan in Grand Haven during sunset.
Chickadee, Clare, Michigan 2015
This image was photographed on an early winter morning in 2015.
Amish. Clare, Michigan 2017
This image was photographed on a foggy winter morning in early 2017.
Chelsea and Dayna, Ann Arbor, Michigan 2017
This image of models Chelsea and Dayna next to a beautiful church door was photographed in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Beaverton Fireworks, Beaverton, Michigan 2017
This image of the 2017 Beaverton fireworks was shot with a fisheye lens while training my second shooter Nikki Robinson.
Matt and Chelsea, Ann Arbor, Michigan 2017
This engagement portrait was shot of Matt and Chelsea in Ann Arbor, Michigan during golden hour.
Todd and Kayla, Midland, Michigan 2017
This image of Todd and Kayla was shot at one of my most frequented locations Dow Gardens in Midland, Michigan. This was taken just outside the gardens after we were kicked out.
Sam Smoke Bombs, Clare, Michigan 2018
This image was photographed of my of favorite models Sam while setting off purple smoke bombs. This image was later used as my entry into Art Walk Central in Mt Pleasant, Michigan.
Lisa, Charlevoix, Michigan 2018
This image of model Lisa was photographed in one of my favorite cities in northern Michigan, Charlevoix. The subtle gesture and soft natural light make this image one of my favorites.
Stark Family, Clare, Michigan 2018
The Starks have been repeat clients of mine since 2017. This image of them and there several dogs remains one of my favorite family portraits.
Rocio, Clare, Michigan 2019
A portrait of a long time friend on a foggy winter afternoon.
Liberty Senior Portrait
I had great time photographing Liberty’s senior portraits in the back of The Four Leaf Brewery in downtown Clare, Michigan in early November. We were able to turn the large room into a makeshift studio space.
Jesse and Aleeshia Engagement Session
I had a great time photographing Jesse and Aleeshia’s engagement session at Dave and Buster’s in Kentwood, Michigan. Can’t wait to photograph their wedding next year!
Justin and Lauren Wedding
I had a great time photographing Justin and Lauren’s wedding in Horton, Michigan. The venue was gorgeous! This was one of the most fun weddings I’ve photographed.
