Visit Erie
VISIT ERIE
There are worse ways to start a shoot than standing waist-deep in Lake Erie at sunrise, hip waders on, camera in hand, watching a kayaker paddle through golden morning light.
That was my first setup for Visit Erie's new tourism campaign, and honestly, the cold water and early call time were the least of my concerns. I was already buzzing with excitement. This was one of those jobs that just had everything I love: real locations, expressive people, and a creative team that understood the value of energy, character, and a little chaos (and of course, I still managed to get wet somehow)
The campaign was all about tapping into that classic vacation feeling. Not the posed-and-polished version, but the one you remember: laughing too hard with friends over ice cream, screaming your face off on a rollercoaster, getting sunburned at the beach, watching the sun dip below the lake with someone you love. Red House Communications, which led the creative direction, wanted images that felt like they came from a family photo album, only elevated. Modern nostalgia, you could say.
I worked alongside their team as well as the video production crew from Honey + Punch, who were capturing motion assets while I shot stills (it is always a pleasure to work with Honey + Punch). It was a true collaboration; we'd constantly trade off angles and ideas or capture the same scene in our own ways. Everyone on the crew understood the vibe we were going for, and that made a huge difference.
The locations were the real stars: Waldameer Amusement Park, Sara's roadside ice cream stand, the beaches and waters of Presque Isle, a local beer garden, and a sailing cruise into the sunset. Each spot had its own personality. One minute, I was riding a rollercoaster repeatedly with a toy camera strapped to me, trying to capture motion blur and joy mid-scream; the next, I was crouched near the track with a long lens, freezing faces as they whipped past at full speed. It was chaotic, exciting, and honestly a blast to be a part of a project like this (I love DMO campaigns like this one)
The people made the shoot, though. Families, couples, and groups of friends all showed up ready to play. These were locals who brought their own energy to the project, and I was able to draw on their experiences and nostalgia for Erie to inform the direction of each scene.
There's something special about shooting for a tourism campaign in a place that's already doing the work. Erie wants you to slow down and savor the experience. This wasn't about staging perfection. It was about bottling that fleeting, nostalgic feeling of never-ending summer.
I'm proud of how these images turned out, and even prouder of how they came together. Erie even worked its magic on me, and I can't wait to plan my own family trip there soon.
