I would be remiss if I didn't mention those first two descriptors as my images are a reflection of me. 
As hard as I try to not have an impression on the wedding day, ultimately the way I see the world is a result of my own life. 
That is why I put value where I do in my personal work -  I focus on relationships, emotion, human touch and ultimately documenting your day as authentically as possible in an effort to preserve the feeling of your day. 

IM A FATHER, HUSBAND & PHOTOGRAPHER

This seems like something that a wedding photographer shouldn't say. In-fact this might turn some of you away but I would urge you to consider what a wedding truly is. 
A wedding is a family event. 
Two joining to become one. A great gathering of friends and family. Parents, babies, grandparents, sisters and brothers all in one space (sometimes for the first and last time ever). 

Photography found me when I became a dad. I picked up a camera to hold onto the moments I knew would pass too quickly. That instinct, to slow down time and preserve how it felt, has never left me.

I started Gmartel Photography after a career in the military, when my wife and I moved from North Carolina to Madison, Wisconsin. When I photographed my first wedding, something clicked: the energy, the intimacy, the way everyone gathers in one place, just for a day, to celebrate what matters most. It felt like home.

 I don’t believe in staging moments that are already beautiful on their own. I believe in photographs that carry weight, ones that look how your memories feel: sometimes sharp and focused, sometimes like a blur of hugs, tears, and laughter.

This isn’t about creating perfect images. It’s about creating honest ones.

The kind you’ll want to return to decades from now.

I’m not here to stage a version of your day. I’m here to witness it, gently, and preserve it as it was.

Finding purpose

AT MY CORE, I AM A FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER