This week we wanted to highlight Maui-based Photographer Tad Craig! We asked Tad to share a bit about himself and his approach to photography. Find out more below!
We first met Tad when we worked together with his wife Cory on her custom wedding gown! Below are some photos. Tad and Cory are both so lovely and kind. Tad recently offered to take a photo of The Sewing Hui volunteers for our Cookbook Fundraiser. So sweet of him! Find out more about Tad and his art below…

Cory and Tad on their wedding day at the Hui No’eau Visual Arts Center. Photography by Scott Drexler.

A photo Tad Craig took for The Sewing Hui’s Cookbook Fundraiser.
Q: How would you describe your style and aesthetic with your work as a photographer?
A: One of the most beautiful things we have here is the amazing colors of the Hawaiian Islands. I absolutely LOVE color & creating imagery that is Bold, Vibrant & Colorful. Of course I am constantly searching for those beautiful fleeting moments of raw emotion & joy that really express the moment too. Let me also say that I also love B&W. B&W has such a classic & timeless look to it & is perfect for some images at weddings & sometimes LESS is MORE!
Q: What is your favorite part about photographing weddings on Maui?
A: It would have to be the crazy beauty & amazing color that we have as a backdrop.
Q: Why did you choose Maui as your home for your business?
A: I was struggling in Hood River Oregon with a low paying job & my friends all had banquet jobs in the Five Star hotels on Maui’s South Side. I was an amatuer photographer pursuing a sports photography career & the three banquet jobs I had helped support that until I jumped ship & became a Romance/Family Photographer not looking back at my other jobs, but as a lifelong career.
Q: What are your favorite moments to capture with your photography?
A: My most favorite moment to photograph hands down are surprise proposals. I LOVE capturing that moment when she realizes her life has just changed & her expression on her face reveals it perfectly. My most favorite part of a wedding to photograph is when it’s just the couple & I getting creative right at sunset. However, photographing a big crew of friends all celebrating rowdily comes in quite close to that.
Q: What drew you towards photography?
A: I grew up in Telluride, Colo. It’s a tiny little ski town nestled in the mountains of southern colorado. One of the locals was named Ace Kavel. He was a wildman on skis, but adventured into the wilds of the mountains to get these insane images all the time. He became famous & a local legend when he started gracing the pages of Patagonia catalog & earned a living from that type of photography. That was my dream! My stepfather gave me my first camera in 1985 which was a Nikon FE2. It was a manual film camera that I still have. It took me a REALLY long time to get serious, but right when I moved to Maui I started taking photography classes on B&W Photography & printing at the Hui No’eau. In those days we just used to put our hands right in the chemicals to fish the prints out & it was in one of those B&W printing sessions that I had my “AHA” moment & it all came together with all the photography concepts! I turned pro a few years later when one day the Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel came to me & said, you have to choose to be a BANQUET WORKER, or a PHOTOGRAPHER, because you can’t do both professionally at this hotel! I chose photography!
Of course it came FULL CIRCLE when after I had proposed to my wife & we were looking for venues that I had told my fiance about the Hui No’eau & she fell in love with it. The roots of my photography were formed in the basement of the building & then the beginning of my marriage was formed in the lawn in front of the Art Studio surrounded by all of the most important people in my life! And of course my wife was in a dress made by Jennifer Oberg! LIFE is Sweet!

Cory and Tad on their wedding day. Photography by Scott Drexler.

Cory and Tad on their wedding day. Photography by Scott Drexler.
And we just love those full circle moments!! We loved working with Tad’s wife on her gown and meeting Tad. Brides and grooms looking for a wedding photographer, we highly recommend Tad! You can follow his work on social media on IG: @tadcraigphotography or visit his website at https://tadcraigphotography.com/