Chapter one
Photographer, web designer, and lifelong tinkerer. I have spent more than ten years behind a camera, and most of my life taking things apart to learn how they work.
y name is Mike Loerop. I am a photographer, web designer, and IT professional living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I grew up in [hometown], and I have lived in six different states since, but Charlotte is the one that feels like home. I live here with my wife, Winnie, and our ginger cat, Boba, who is named after the bubble tea shop in Uptown where Winnie and I had our first date.
I am happiest when I am learning how something works, then finding a way to make it a little better. That is true of a wedding day, a website, and a server rack. My favorite moments are usually the simple ones: breakfast on the back patio, a movie at home, or taking our cameras somewhere new just to see what we find.
Every move left a mark. Charlotte is where we put down roots.
Treating people with warmth, every time.
Letting what I believe guide the work.
Continually striving to do my best.
[A few sentences about your faith: what you believe, how you came to it, and how it shapes the way you live and work.]
[Optional second paragraph, such as your church home in Charlotte or a verse that means a lot to you.]
[A favorite verse]
[Reference]
In third grade my dad handed me our family's digital camcorder and trusted me to record a day we would never forget. I picked it up quick, and I remember loving every minute of it.
Years later, after building a computer from scratch for a senior project, I realized I could learn almost anything. On a vacation soon after, a photo from my phone sparked the idea. I spent the rest of that trip reading camera reviews, and decided my first real camera would be a Nikon D5300.
Three kinds of photographs I make sure every couple goes home with.
Beautiful, composed portraits you would love to print, frame, and send to family.
Candid frames that remind you how the day actually felt, not just how it looked.
The people who showed up. Three generations in one frame, for the family album.
A Nikon shooter from the very first camera. One modern body for work, two classics for the joy of it, and the phone that is always in my pocket.
The short version. The full résumé lives on its own site.
Full résumé ↗Time given to my church and community.
Two studios, one standard of care.
What I reach for when the camera is in the bag.
Especially the old ones, and especially the red ones.
The best way to see a neighborhood at golden hour.
Every machine I own, including the photo backup server.
Made at home, enjoyed on the back patio.
I make a mean egg pie. Ask Winnie.
Always support or tank. Someone has to keep the team alive.