Rooted in observation and shaped by real environments, ScottyD’s path into photography grew from lived experience rather than formal convention. Based in Dayton, Ohio, his professional background spans more than 25 years across leadership, communication, and visual storytelling. Much of that time was spent in senior leadership, communications, and fundraising roles with the American Red Cross, including service as a National Disaster Specialist. His work included high-level operational and communications leadership during major national responses such as the Midwest Floods of 1993, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the TWA Flight 800 air disaster in 1996, and September 11, 2001 in New York City—environments that demanded clarity, calm decision-making, and the ability to document reality as it unfolded.

Alongside nonprofit leadership, ScottyD built experience as a professional communicator, brand ambassador, and retail manager with Orvis and Cabela’s, developing a strong understanding of brand voice, customer trust, and visual consistency. His career also includes work as a Department of Defense contractor at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, reinforcing a disciplined, systems-driven approach to projects where accuracy, discretion, and accountability matter.

Today, ScottyD applies that experience to editorial and documentary photography and video for brands, organizations, venues, couples, and creatives throughout Dayton, Ohio, and within a 300-mile regional radius. His work spans commercial, event, wedding, portrait, and brand-driven projects, often in fast-moving, low-light, and uncontrolled environments. The approach remains consistent: calm, observant, and intentional—creating honest visual stories designed for real-world use, long-term value, and collaboration built on trust.