The Story So Far...
I was born just like everyone else on January 30th, 1985. Since then I've done a lot of really interesting things, including but not limited to: playing drums, listening to music, enjoying both good and bad movies, playing video games, loving my girlfriend, playing with my kitties, and enjoying the company of friends and family.
I joined the new media revolution right around 2000 and focused on three of my passions: web design, videography, and photography. I don't have much formal training in any of the skills I possess, but I would never trade the real world experience I've gained by actively working in my field.
In my leisure time I really enjoy kicking back and playing video games. Although there's bound to be a few groans and grumbles, PlayStation 3 is my console of choice and I use it not only as a console but as a Blu-Ray player and streaming media hub. I also own a Wii, but I'm a purist in the sense that I believe in moving as little as possible while playing video games.
Brief Work History
I started freelancing web design in my teens, mainly for friends and family. After completing a few sites, word got out and I started designing websites for small businesses and life was good. The one complaint I had with freelancing was the frequency of projects and as a result opted to dedicate my skills to various companies over the years, exchanging flexibility in schedule for structure and a steady paycheck.
Around 2004, I co-founded a new media company called dark driving productions specializing in accessible web design and videography for the Philadelphia area. To this day we still do work for various non-profits and utilize the equipment we've purchased for a variety of personal projects.
In April of 2009 I was fortunate enough to be hired by the kick-ass Philadelphia interactive agency known as allwebcafe. This has allowed me to surround myself with some of the most talented people doing web work in the tri-state area and I consider it a privilege to call them my coworkers.
As of 2010, I've decided to begin taking on freelance work yet again. I'm taking a more comprehensive approach and incorporating everything I've learned over the years spent in this ever-changing environment. I'm doing a lot of things differently (except the whole making kick-ass designs thing). Take a look at my portfolio if you get the opportunity or get in touch if you think you'd like to work with me.
My Gear
When you're as much of a nerd as I am, you have this almost impulsive tendency to question what kind of gear the people around you use, so without further explanation or ado:
- Computer: Late 2008 20" iMac
- Video Camera: Canon GL2
- Microphone: Snowball by Blue Microphones
- Speakers: Studiophile DX4 by M-Audio
- DSLR: Nikon D40 (on loan from the girlfriend)
- iPhone 3G for fielding those important business calls
- Software: Adobe CS4, Final Cut Studio 3, Logic 9, Coda, Transmit, MAMP, VMware, and iLife (for smaller projects)
This Site
As with many of my web design projects, it started small and escalated quickly. The look/feel was inspired by vintage graphic design from the World War II era as well as more modern grunge web designs.
Top to bottom, this site is powered by Wordpress. I'm hosted on MediaTemple's Grid Service, which is like a dream come true compared to some of the other half-assed hosts I've worked with in the past. Those clever enough to view the source will see I'm rockin' XHTML 1.0 Transitional and CSS 2.1. Everyone else: consider yourself informed.
I'll openly admit that this site will not look good on all browsers, IE6 in particular. When coding for clients, I ensure cross-browser compatibility, but since this is my site I've opted for better technology over support for antiquated browsers. Might I recommend Firefox for best possible browsing experience?
