Photographing Elvis's 50th Birthday Celebration at Simple Motive Brewing Co.

This past Sunday, June 28, I had the opportunity to photograph Elvis's 50th birthday celebration, and I'm incredibly grateful that his family trusted me to capture such an important milestone.

Elvis's wife, Claudia, first reached out through the contact form on my website. I always appreciate when potential clients use the online inquiry form because it keeps everything organized and makes the booking process smooth from start to finish. Within a short time, we had the details finalized, and I was looking forward to spending the afternoon documenting their celebration.

The party was held at Simple Motive Brewing Co., one of my favorite local breweries. Back when I was drinking beer, their Perpetuity was one of my favorites, so it was nice returning to a place I've always enjoyed. Beyond the great beer, the brewery has a welcoming atmosphere that makes it a fantastic venue for private events.

From a photographer's perspective, however, Simple Motive presents an interesting lighting challenge.

Unlike banquet halls with white ceilings and neutral-colored walls, the brewery features exposed orange brick, warm wood floors, and large wooden beams throughout the space. Those beautiful design elements create an inviting atmosphere, but they also make bouncing flash nearly impossible. Any bounced light would pick up the orange tones and cast that color onto everyone's skin.

I also wanted to preserve the detail outside the large windows instead of letting them become completely blown out. That meant I needed to build a lighting setup that looked natural while keeping the exposure balanced.

For this event, I used my Godox V1 with a diffuser and a half CTO gel, shooting direct flash at around 1/16 power. I also placed two Godox AD200s on opposite sides of the venue, both fitted with CTO gels, to create even, flattering light throughout the room. The result was a clean, consistent look that maintained the warmth of the brewery without allowing the orange surroundings to overpower the images.

Once the lighting was dialed in, I could focus on what I enjoy most: documenting genuine moments.

From the moment guests began arriving, you could feel how much Elvis meant to everyone in the room. Family and friends came together to celebrate him, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter, hugs, stories, and genuine happiness. Those authentic interactions are always my favorite moments to photograph because they're impossible to recreate.

The food was another highlight of the afternoon. Guests enjoyed incredible barbecue from Bark BBQ along with food from the Bronx Ale House, all paired with the excellent craft beer brewed right at Simple Motive Brewing Co. It was the perfect combination for a relaxed Sunday celebration.

The event itself ran from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, making it a quick two-hour celebration. After the party wrapped up, I stayed a little longer to capture a few extra moments before settling down inside the brewery to begin editing.

One of the advantages of photographing at a brewery is that it's a comfortable place to sit down with a laptop and get right to work. Within about an hour, I had culled the images, completed my edits, uploaded the gallery, and was able to share the finished photos with the family that same day.

Watching their reactions is always one of my favorite parts of the job.

Everyone was excited to relive the afternoon, but the biggest surprise came from the candid photographs. Those quiet moments of laughter, conversation, and genuine emotion often happen when people don't even realize the camera is pointed in their direction. Those are the images that tell the real story of an event, and seeing everyone's reaction to those unexpected memories reminded me why I love event photography.

Every family celebration is unique, but the best ones always have something in common: they make you feel welcome. From the moment I arrived, Elvis, Claudia, and their family treated me like I was part of the celebration instead of just the photographer.

Those are the events I enjoy photographing the most.

Whether it's a milestone birthday, anniversary, graduation, or family gathering, being trusted to preserve those memories is something I never take for granted. I'm grateful for every opportunity to document these moments, and I look forward to helping more families preserve memories they'll be able to enjoy for years to come.

Thank you again to Elvis, Claudia, and everyone who made me feel so welcome. Happy 50th birthday, Elvis!