There’s a particular kind of disorientation that comes with recalibration. Not failure or freefall, but a shift in balance. Like the NASA Gemini 8 space mission in 1966, when a minor malfunction set the capsule into unexpected rotation. The craft wasn’t lost, but it demanded immediate attention—systems checked, assumptions reset, instincts sharpened. Inside the capsule, Neil Armstrong and David Scott relied on training and trust rather than force, reading the instruments, resisting the urge to overcorrect, and making deliberate choices under pressure. The solution wasn’t acceleration or power, but restraint: slowing things down, cutting the right thruster, and choosing control over momentum. Control returned not through panic, but through deliberate recalibration. In moments like these, forward motion still exists. What’s missing is the familiar reference point. Progress is happening, even if it’s harder to measure, and what you begin to crave is not speed or escape, but balance.

It’s not the metaphor I ever expected to use to describe life as a new dad, but it’s the one that fits best. The past year has been a constant calibration between work and family, presence and productivity. Between operating a commercial photography business and being there for my family, my attention has been divided in ways it never was before. The single-minded focus has been replaced by something more layered and more human, shaped not by ease, but by failure.

In many ways, this has been a gift. Slowing down has created space for connection, reflection, and a deeper understanding of what matters most. At the same time, it’s required a meaningful shift in how I think about time, energy, and ambition. Familiar rhythms changed, and new ones had to be built. And somewhere in that recalibration, a different kind of momentum began to take shape.

In March, Colleen and I both hit a personal milestone—turning 40—and celebrated with a quick weekend trip to NYC. After years of work trips, this one was different—we slowed down, stayed on the Lower East Side, wandered without an agenda, sipped cocktails at Double Chicken Please, and shared an incredible dinner at Michelin-starred Korean restaurant Oiji Mi. A true highlight was seeing the Broadway musical Just In Time on opening weekend and experiencing the insane talent of Jonathan Groff up close and personal. Whether it was the rare pause, world-class cocktails, or a few days off from full-time parenting, the trip unexpectedly became the catalyst for conceiving our second child.

Shortly after, I took on one of the longest campaigns of my advertising career. My client, Kentucky Tourism, needed to expand the “Find What Moves You” campaign with new nightlife imagery, and my team and I were hired to photograph various locations across the state over a ten-day stretch. Some nights we made it home; others were spent in hotels. We often covered multiple locations a day, which meant a late-night wrap and an early-morning call time. With that pace, there was very little time left to help Colleen with Cecilia or to fully show up for family life. Because much of the photography happened at night, being present at home—being a dad—felt nearly impossible.

I did everything I could to keep things moving, but it didn’t take long to recognize the imbalance. Nothing dramatic broke. There was no single moment of error. Instead, it was a gradual realization that constant adjustment had replaced intention. I was responding rather than steering, compensating rather than choosing. Moving, but not communicating. Even my thinking began to tilt, from positivity and possibility to negativity and uncertainty. That stretch made one thing clear: some seasons require a clear priority, and trying to hold everything in equal tension isn’t always possible.

Midway through the project, we had a day off. Instead of using it to pause, I filled it completely—mowing the lawn, catching up on chores, staying in motion. There was no space to reset or check in. The following morning, just as I was heading back into production, Colleen shared the positive pregnancy test. Another baby on the way. A beautiful surprise. A moment that instantly reframed the future.

Since then, prioritizing my well-being has become less about doing more and more about alignment—about shaping how I show up for my work, my family, and myself with greater care, communication, and clarity, and a deeper focus on both physical and mental health. As I look toward 2026, I’m carrying forward a steadier mindset rooted in balance, presence, vulnerability, and—most importantly—gratitude, grounded in the understanding that progress doesn’t always look like momentum.

Next year marks 15 years in the photography business—a milestone that feels both earned and humbling. 2025 tested me in ways I didn’t expect, with setbacks, burnout, pressure, and moments that demanded real endurance. But I’m still here. Still curious. Still learning, adapting, and finding meaning in the work. That feels worth celebrating.

This year, my team and I captured over 75,000 photographs and dozens of hours of motion for clients like Tempur-Pedic, Maker’s Mark, Baird, and Kentucky Tourism.

I launched a refreshed website, with new imagery and new navigation.
We executed the largest advertising projects of my career for Kentucky Tourism and their campaign “Find What Moves You”.
We developed and shipped nearly 100 promo boxes that showcased my personal project “Clay Cook x Anchal: Stitched in Strength”.
I purchased a Fuji X100V.
I celebrated my 40th birthday.

Behind the brand is a collection of people whom I owe a debt of gratitude for 2024: Colleen Clines, Mom, Dad, Missy Lynn, Jeff Lynn, Tom Clines, Tommy Clines, Brittany Myers, Maggie Clines-Cobb, Dave Cobb, Jonathon Chi, Adam Mescan, Zach Browning, Ryan Grant, Luke Franke, Blake Peterson, Bryan Sheffield, Jordan Hartley, Thomas Ingersoll, Bill Yancey, Megan Fleming, Jesika Sacramento-Alvarez, Stacy Swiderski, Nicole Poulin, Liz Wolf, Coury Deeb, Ryan Galanaugh, Andrew Robinson, Alex Pace, Danny Alexander, Laura Kirkpatrick-Cianciolo, Fabiane Lash, Sara Rounsavall, Lambsey Reeves, Lauren Sutton, Tyler Anderson, Courtney Anderson, Mike Brady, Chris Jackson, Nichole Jackson, Tyler Zoller, David Bongiorno, Leif Ramsey, Chris Stiles, Shane Hunter, Kelby Miller, Emilie DeLong, Margaret Horlander, Cynthia Kendrick, Dan Waymack, and Sol Perry.

2025 - REVIEW

LIFE BEHIND THE LENS