Well, where do I begin? My name is Wayne Polk, Jr and I would consider myself a late-bloomer into the cinematography industry. I've always been the guy at events taking pictures and shooting video because growing up I watched my God-mother countlessly taking pictures as a professional photographer. I did have a small stint where I wanted to do photography professionally but video seemed to pull my true attention. My wife, and God, gets all the credit for how I got into this industry. Without my wife, I wouldn't be where I am today. As we sat at home watching old videos I put together, she asked me why I haven't taken the necessary steps to do this professionally. I truly didn't have an answer for her other than that I just enjoyed doing it as a hobby. She looked me right in my eyes and said, "Honey, you're good at what you do, it's time for you to start getting paid for your talents." Precisely 2 days after that conversation, I went to the Sprint store and purchased an iPhone 12 (I was an Android owner at the time). The video quality of the iPhone 12, at the time, was very impressive and gave me the ability to produce some quality footage. I reached out to an old classmate from high school that did professional photography and asked if I could tagalong on a wedding or 2 to get some footage to help build my portfolio. Without hesitation, Arminta McKinney of ArmintaMcKinney Photography, gave me the opportunity to use my iPhone 12 to shoot a wedding and a few holiday photo shoots. I posted my content on all social media platforms until one day, my now mentor, George Bucur, reached out to give me some subtle advice about a wedding I posted. I took the constructive criticism to heart and made the appropriate adjustments, one of which was to get some "real equipment" if I wanted to land professional wedding gigs.

 

The saying is "It Takes a Village", and my village was pivotal in my career advancement as my brother Edward told me he wanted to invest in me and helped me get my first professional camera, the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k. Since the day my brother handed me that camera, I have not looked back. Under the tutelage of my Mentor, I have made numerous strides to becoming the best Cinematographer possible. I take a lot of pride in shooting weddings because I understand how special of a day that is for all involved. I enjoyed every bit of my wedding day so I can only push to provide others with the ability to look back and enjoy their memories over and over again. Ultimately, I aspire to find my name in the credits of a major motion picture one day. Until then, I will continue to provide my clients with quality customer service and produce videos that are sure to knock their socks off. 

​

Wayne Polk, Jr.

​