Hello, and congrats on your engagement!

Thanks so much for visiting. A little about me and my work...

One of my greatest strengths as a wedding photographer is my ability to shoot stellar candid photos. They are my specialty and my passion. I am obsessed with hunting down and capturing moments that define a wedding day. My head is always on a swivel.

My other passion is portraits. I strive to shoot imaginative portraits that boast a dynamic mix of lighting, emotion and composition. Portraits that you and your fiancé will treasure for the rest of your lives together.

I accomplish all of the above by working really, really hard. Your wedding is a sacred event, and I believe that photographing it correctly is serious business. Between pre-wedding location scouting, being flexible, returning phone calls and emails within 24 hours, and all the other details that go into photographing the biggest day of your life, I put forth my best effort and I don’t cut corners. Period.

I proudly offer my services at a price that is affordable. Shop around and you’ll discover that my work is as good or better than some photographers who charge twice as much. The reason: I already have a full-time, salaried photography job that pays the bills. That means I don’t have to pass on the high costs of advertising, medical insurance, and other small-business expenses. Just awesome photos at a great price. No catch.

If you’d like to learn more, please shoot me an email at craigdirkes@yahoo.com.

My Story

I wanted to be a writer, not a photographer. But when I became editor of the Bristol Bay Times newspaper in Dillingham, Alaska in 2002, the job demanded that I also shoot photos. I fell in love instantly.

I moved back home to Minnesota in 2004 and became staff photographer at the Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal. I shot my first wedding that year, then another. Suddenly, I was officially moonlighting as a wedding photographer. Twenty years later, and I haven’t stopped.

Today I work in Roseville as a public relations writer and photographer for The Salvation Army of Minnesota and North Dakota. I am also the author a critically-acclaimed YA novel titled "Sucktown, Alaska."

I live in Elk River with my three incredible children named Mira, Tyler and Teddy. In my spare time I like to hunt, fish, lift weights, go mountain biking, watch football (Skol Vikings!), and go to church.