Weirdly enough, fishing led me to my journey into cinematography. I realized fairly quickly that university couldn't teach me how to become a fishing guide, so I quit while I was ahead and enrolled into sea school. Soon after, I became a captain and bought a skiff with the money I was intended to use towards tuition. Little did I know, I would soon pick up a camera. 

 

Long story short, I bought a first generation Gopro and started filming some of the action for my clients. This is the moment when I first dug my teeth into video editing. I definitely learned the hard way, but I quickly fell in love with the whole process. Filming, editing, and getting to share the excitement with others. Granted, they weren't the best quality videos, they added a ton of value for my customers, brought awareness to my company, and kickstarted my love for filmmaking. 

 

My family runs a unique venue in Cocoa, Florida, called the Indian River Queen. It’s a 99’ paddlewheel boat and I grew up working on it. I would fish charters in the mornings and work as a deckhand on the Queen in the evenings. I started getting pretty handy with the Gopro, so I decided to bring it along for one of the Queen's weddings. I filmed like I would on fishing charters - action only with some occasional scenic shots for “b-roll”. I remember it being kinda weird and I’m sure the couple was wondering what the heck the crew kid was doing with the Gopro. 

 

Anyways, later that week I whipped up a short video and sent it to the couple. To my surprise they loved it and it eventually was shared and circulated amongst their friends and family. That was the spark and the beginning of my wedding videography career. I’ve since graduated from GoPros and, if you can believe it, the University of Central Florida. Go Knights! 

 

Here we are now. From fishing charters to weddings and from GoPros to GH5s. My joy for filmmaking has been a natural progression and a labor of love. I'm grateful for the freedom and creative control my couples give me. I love creating and finding new ways to tell their story. Like weddings, my films are intended to bring people together and embody what really matters in this world. L-O-V-E. (AAWWWW)

 

If I’m not filming your wedding, you can find me on or under the water, writing weird music, or building something out of wood. 

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​- Peter Flaherty