SAN ANTONIO – **Editor’s note - “Unheard: Stories from the Alamo City” is a KSAT feature that gives our viewers the chance to tell their unique stories. The idea is to give a voice to the voiceless. Find more stories like this or share your powerful story on our Unheard page.
This past year has been hard on many business owners and one industry that has seen some huge impacts from the coronavirus pandemic is the wedding industry.
Wedding photographers David and Tracy Crockett own Ardore Photography. For the past 11 years living in San Antonio, they have shot many weddings, sometimes up to five a month.
In March, everything changed.
“We went from shooting three to five weddings a month to 25 weeks without shooting anything,” David Crockett said.
The married couple of 30 years tried not to dwell on all the downtime and loss of business but instead saw it as an opportunity.
“I think it was an opportunity for us all to just reset, sit back and reflect,” Track Crockett said. “We were able to take some time to look at a different perspective, we spent time in nature just getting back to us.”
That time in nature inspired them to try on a new venture.
“We really want to expand and take people out into nature,” David Crockett said. “We would love to take several couples out every week and just teach them how to shoot nature, and they get all these really cool photos.”
While shooting weddings is something that has started back up slowly, Ardore Nature Photography Excursions is now a way for anyone to take the time to enjoy nature or go on a fun date.
“It’s healthy getting out and getting some fresh air,” David Crockett said.
Stepping away from snapping wedding photos has also allowed the biracial couple to take a look at race relations in San Antonio.
While they admit most people don’t initially believe they are a married couple, they say their personalities and passion for what they do makes others not react negatively toward them.
“I’ve seen it more on a positive aspect where people are more apt to get to know you and to hear you and see what you’re all about,” Tracy Crockett said.
“I think everybody in San Antonio just gets along and it’s all about enjoying each other’s difference and our different cultures,” David Crockett said. “That’s what makes San Antonio and America so rich and vibrant and beautiful is that we’re not all the same.”
Ardore Photography is currently booking weddings again and nature excursions. You can find more information on their website.
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