Aaron Kes Photography

07/30/2024

Ive been photographing things for twenty years. Did my first wedding in 2006. But I’ve barely shot on film. Briefly to start college and then again for a few months in 2019 or so. I got prints back from various rolls five years ago and was fairly disappointed. I had some good shots, but a lot of them didn’t look the way I wanted to. I knew I could put the time and effort into cracking it…but I was too busy at the time to give it more attention and I sold my camera. Now that I work at a camera shop, I’ve been tempted to go back. Knowing I’d have support and help.

Getting the disposables for our July 4th road trip was the first step. I actually liked the results of those photos more than when I had my camera in 2019. Then I showed some photos from that time to coworkers and the help kicked in. They let me know what might have happened and what I could do. even scanned some of my old photos to show me the negatives weren’t the problem. helped me with some gear. Our manager gave me advice, and on and on. Everyone there has been helpful and wonderful. Having community has always been amazing to me.

Well…I’m back in. I bought a Nikon FA that just arrived and I’m excited to shoot some more. For now, here are a few photos from our trip to Seattle in 2019 that are much improved thanks to better scans. Shot on a Canon AE-1 Program on a stock I’m not even sure what it was.

11/14/2023

Ten frames from Megan and Robin’s wedding this weekend in Phoenix.

07/13/2023

Perks of the new job is c hecking out equipment or brands that are new to me. I was in Chicago in May for some training and brought a Sony A7 IV and a 16-35mm to a Cubs game. Loved the files. And the Chicago dogs.

07/10/2023

A few of my favorite shots from my trip to DC last year. All shot with the Canon R5 and the 28-70mm 2.0.

07/03/2023

A little life update.

Let me start by saying to my current booked clients, don’t worry. You’re still good to go and I will still be actively shooting. But, I’m moving away from full time freelancing.

After moving here, I’ve realized how nice it is having weekends with Katie and Murray. I like the slower pace of life I have now compared to what I used to. To top that off, I have creative things I’ve wanted to do for a long time, that I always set aside. So, while I’m letting go of running my own business full time, my ambitions are still there.

I recently took a day job as the rental manager of Dodd Camera in Cincinnati. It’s been a great fit so far. Art still gets to be what my job is about. But it’s very freeing not having to rely on selling my art for a living. I never really liked that side of things.

Going forward I’ll share a bigger mix of images here. Possibly even some film/video stuff as that’s part of my new personal plans. I even picked up a new daily carry camera geared towards shooting for fun.

I am still available to book the occasional wedding or freelance gig. I do genuinely like doing them. I’ll just be taking on much fewer throughout the year.

I’m excited for this next chapter of life. 😎

06/16/2023

Probably the first and last time I’ll post someone signing a marriage certificate. But when the person signing it fought so hard for what can go on those certificates, it’s a great time to do so. served as officiant for Jenn and Jared’s wedding, and he also served as lead plaintiff in the super Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges. The case that legalized same s*x marriage throughout the US. Pretty proud to be chosen to capture this. Happy pride! 🌈

05/04/2023

Sing along.

04/25/2023

Nothing prickly about this pair.

04/12/2023

Falling for you.

02/23/2023

Jenn and Jared's Cincinnati session is up on the blog and gives a little sampler to some Cincy highlights!

I love highlighting the uniqueness of the people I work with and the setting we do it in. Jenn and Jared's Cincinnati engagement session checks both boxes.

02/13/2023

World premiere.

While photographing this wedding on Saturday, I saw this movie theatre marquee between the two buildings and had to photograph Ashley and Rob with it. I love the look and feel of the marquee for sure. But it also speaks to how I got here. Did you know I got into wedding photography through studying film and television production in college? Still photography was a prerequisite for my film course and I really liked it. Some friends of mine were getting married and asked me to photograph it knowing I had taken classes like that. It was awesome and I loved it.

I would periodically shoot other friends’ weddings as I went through school. I borrowed or rented gear as I went. After graduating I worked as an editor and a little bit as a producer too. But I never shook how I felt about still photography too. When I finally bought my own camera that would shoot video and stills, I really grabbed onto the still side. I never tired of trying things and learning about the craft.

Photography and filmmaking can be very similar, but I love some of the differences. I often use sports as a comparison. Football and baseball are amazing, but it’s hard to capture the feel of them without a team. Or at least someone else to toss a ball to. Movies are like that. Very hard to do on your own. Still photography feels more like basketball, coincidentally my favorite sport. The same way I can just pick up a ball and shoot on my hoop, it’s easier to pick up a camera and photograph things on my own. Not a perfect comparison because you can obviously do all these things with or without people. But there’s something about how I connect to all of these things that it makes sense to me.

I still absolutely love movies and filmmaking. I led a non-profit in Phoenix geared towards educating and connecting filmmakers for a decade. Through that I did work for the Phoenix Film Festival, both organizations I’m still helping and will actually be attending the festival in March. I know both film and photography will always be a big part of my life, and I love that.

02/10/2023

Maddie and Henry's Icehouse Phoenix wedding bash is on the blog!

Last fall I went back to the desert from Cincinnati to photograph this unique urban warehouse wedding featuring chain mail, opera gloves, and a ton of fun.