Vendor Spotlight: Dan Cox Photography

How did you get into photography? Are you self-taught or formally trained?

I got into photography by taking pictures at concerts. I would skip school and wait in line all day to make sure I had a front row spot, often sneaking my camera in. Then I eventually found out there was a thing called a photo pass which made things a bit easier! I started a few music publications where photography was my main involvement, I even toured with a band as their photographer. After a few years off, my sister started a wedding videography business that I helped her with. She then encouraged me to start taking photos. Bingo bango, here I am. I’m self-taught for the most part. I took a few classes at a community college but it ultimately wasn’t for me.

What’s been your favorite experience as a wedding photographer?

Walking into a couple’s home on their wedding day and seeing the photos I took for their engagement, hung up on the walls.

Where is the most interesting or unique place you’ve photographed a wedding? Was there anything especially challenging about it?

Taft Point at Yosemite. It was unique to me because we don’t have spots like that in Southeast Michigan. The challenging part was hiking to the location and then having only 15-minutes to capture the whole thing because the sun was setting. I respect nature too much to get myself stranded in the dark.

As a photographer, what has been your biggest wedding day challenge?

Social queues. For example, knowing the proper etiquette when it comes to hors-d’oeuvres. I’m still not sure I fully understand it, but at least I know where I stand. If there’s a dope cheese table or some bruschetta, just go for it. I always felt like guests would judge me for grubbing down and I don’t know why. Is it a bad look for me? I don’t know. I think it’s worth it to just take a leap of faith, especially when gouda is involved.

What piece of advice would you give brides and grooms to ensure that they get wedding photos they love forever? (This can include tips about preparation, choosing a photographer, or anything else.)

Study your photographer’s work before booking them and make sure your styles are analogous. As someone who shoots very natural and edits very moody, it would be an unideal fit to work with a couple who loves posey vibrant photos.

What are your favorite wedding trends to photograph right now?

First looks!!

If you weren’t a wedding photographer, what would you be doing?

Coming off the bench for the Detroit Pistons. Not in a scoring role, more in an effort and defensive role. I can draw a charge and my defense leads to fastbreak opportunities. I’d be the first 5’9” power forward in league history. It was either a lucrative career in the NBA or this.

At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?

Marriage isn’t dependent on the color of your linens or the intricacies of your centerpieces. While those things contribute to making a wedding special and unique, at the end of the day, the thing you will have to hold onto is your partner and the love that you two share.