https://justingriffithphotography.shootproof.com/

The Tipp City Photographer, Tipp City, OH (2026)

09/02/2026

I hate having to make back to back controversial posts, but this one is important and I need your help to come up with a solution.
A few weeks ago I noticed something that made my stomach turn. For those who don't know, Facebook's analytics are very detailed for suggested pages like mine. I can see everything. Who's viewing what content, where they're from, other pages and things that viewers like and view, on and on. I made a post for a session I had with a young lady. It did extremely well- too well in hindsight.
I have had a pretty standard and predictable page demographic spread since I first started this page. 75-80% of my views come from women aged 25-40. Always have. Doesn't matter what kind of post I'm making. My bo***ir photos even- which you would think would have a higher rate amongst men, always women in that age range or a little older....
When I made the post I'm talking about, my demographic changed (only for this post mind you) to 92% men aged 40-65 at a MUCH larger view rate than anything else I've ever posted. My usual views are 20-25k per post. This one was 75k on the first day. (That's a lot) I deleted the post immediately because it was pretty clear why this demographic was interested in my work all of a sudden. I went through the list of names that had liked the post and banned everyone. After posting that- and deleting it, my demographic spread went back to normal and I didn't have any further issues until I saw the following news yesterday.
There was a ruling that AI generated CP, is a protected activity as long as the material doesn't leave the home (or I would also assume the home network.)
First of all WTF, Second of all and here's where the problem is- people are using photos of children they find online (as well as the company that runs the AI generator) to create disgusting photos and video.
Even more unfortunate news- they're not just going after professional photos. Some of you more than likely have people in your friends lists that have access to your personal photos and there's no way of knowing or controlling who has access to those things and what or if they're doing with them.
I'm going to take further steps to protect any photos I take, even if that means not posting them at all. Family work is a very small percentage of what I do- the majority of my work is with people over the age of 18. So it probably won't hurt my page to not post images with kids in them. Other photographers though exclusively work with families and kids and are way more vulnerable to having their work co-opted for reasons never intended.
I'm sounding the alarm early- this ruling is going to cause a lot of problems. There will be an influx of people coming to social media platforms to find photos to use now that they are protected in doing so. I don't want to be a part of that at ALL. I would assume no one does.
I know everyone looks forward to seeing their work online, the excitement and joy of the time we spend together. Having their stories told. Being seen. We're just going to have to do that differently to protect the kids.

09/01/2026

Can I go outside Daddy Flock ?

It's an absurd question to an equally absurd situation.
Why does surveillance feel so normalized that you're running out of places to not be watched?

If you don't know or have been living under a rock for the last several years, Flock safety is a network of automatic license plate reading cameras that are placed along busy roadways and shopping center entrances that follow our every move. It's marketed as a tool for local law enforcement to find suspected criminals, human and drug traffickers and despicable criminals of all sorts. An officer can search any license plate in the flock database and find every instance that you passed one of their cameras hopefully leading to the arrest of some awful criminal... they're also used by DHS and ICE to locate and track the movements of anyone they think might be the wrong kind of brown. We need to feel safe. So safe that there's nothing stopping everyone and anyone from stalking you legally or otherwise?

If YoU aReN't DoInG aNyThInG wRoNg, WhY dO yOu CaRe?!? That's a pretty awful fu***ng standard for privacy. If it was a flawless system that you could opt out of and no one nefarious could gain access to it, I would feel similarly. However not only can you not opt out, it's getting harder and harder to not have digital eyes on you anywhere you go. I can opt out of carrying a phone- that already tracks everything I say, do and places I go. I'm not handed a phone by the government and told to keep it on me at all times. I can leave it off, at home or just not have one to begin with. You can't do that with Flock or Axon cameras. Well, not legally anyway.

I staged a picnic at Hobart Urban Nature Preserve in front of Flocks falcon ALPR to bring awareness to the dystopian future we're on track for living in. I was intentionally absurd with my imagery. I had my model dress in a plaid skirt, knee highs, Mary Janes, and white cotton underwear. The juvenile styling is deliberate. It's about innocence, vulnerability, authority and control. It's about taking something that should feel completely ordinary—an adult going outside for a picnic—and putting it under the gaze of a system that can observe, record and identify people without asking their permission.

If you believe surveillance is acceptable because you trust the people in charge right now, ask yourself how comfortable you'd be handing that same surveillance system to the people you absolutely fu***ng don't trust.
That's the uncomfortable part.

And yes, I already know someone will say, "You're a photographer. Why don't you just take pictures and shut up about politics?"

Because art and protest have always been fu***ng intertwined. Photography isn't just pretty pictures of families standing in fields.
Photography has documented war, poverty, racism, injustice, political movements, cultural revolutions, government abuses and the parts of society we'd rather pretend don't exist.
Sometimes a photograph documents something.
Sometimes it asks a question.
Sometimes it pi**es people off.
And sometimes the best way to make people think about something serious is to make the entire thing so absurd that they can't ignore it.

So that's what I did.
I had an adult woman have a picnic in front of a surveillance camera while dressed like an exaggerated caricature of innocence, surrounded by ridiculous props, with one question written across her underwear:
CAN I GO OUTSIDE, DADDY FLOCK?
Maybe you think it's stupid.
Maybe you think it's hilarious.
Maybe you think it's offensive.
Maybe you think I'm completely wrong about surveillance.
Good.
At least you're thinking about it.
Because that's the point.
When did being watched become so normal that we stopped asking whether we should be?

08/31/2026

Last night, I did something a little different. I met Stephanie and 35 young ladies from Dance Etcetera to take their competition team photos.
It was great, the girls all did wonderfully. Stephanie was the reason it all went so smoothly. She had everything laid out and organized so well. I had everyone’s attention the whole time. Stephanie and the other teachers were fantastic. Usually team photos are rushed and super disorganized, everyone feels like they’re being punished for being in attendance. (me included)
I was prepared for anything.
Soooooth as butter. They all helped with posing. Stephanie had a detailed list of everything she needed and handled all the role calling and group organization. ❤️ The two hours just flew by.
Thankful for all of your effort.

08/31/2026

I am sitting in a nearly empty Little York Tavern on my birthday. My leg is hurting and swollen and I'm waiting on my pork tenderloin and for Brooke to be done working.
My last two sessions haven't been looked at yet and I am putting the finishing touches on the wildest session I've ever shot which will happen tomorrow night. How wild you might ask? Wild enough to consult with a lawyer before I shoot a single frame. 😬
Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday today!
I'm looking forward to putting the last year behind me. Fall is right around the corner and I won't have a single day off starting September 1st. (I still have availability but it's dwindling by the day. ) Hopefully I'll be walking normally by then 😂
I dislike Alice in chains. Random thought for you, but it's playing right now for me.
My "healing" time is almost over. I read most of the week. I'm not very good at sitting and doing nothing. Not that reading is nothing, but I'm not good at stationary living.
Not walking 30k+ steps a day this week felt super weird.
I was only not in bed when I was working, and I definitely didn't do much walking around (which is probably crazy for a lot of you to hear that think I walk too much)

Ope, time to eat my birthday sandwich. Thanks for spending time with me while I waited ☺️

08/29/2026

The Custer’s invited me to the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center on their 28th anniversary to watch them pour out their hearts to one another and renew their vows.
I only got to spend an hour with Kevin and Jennifer but I was immediately invested in their story and connection. I do believe that their renewed vows are the standard for what two people should say to one another, holy smokes. It’s so beautiful to see two people so forthcoming and open about the love that they share.
I always enjoy milling around the Hayner, but I will forever associate it with these two. Thank you for asking me to bear witness. I hope when I’m at 28 years married, I’ll be able to fill a room with love the way you both did today.

08/28/2026

Facebook has pegged me as being a storytelling photographer so anytime I don't have a story to tell, they don't show anyone 😐
I took this photo on April 1st of 2020. No April fools.
My family was left feeling lost like the rest of the country. Brooke and I were both unemployed, our kids were learning on Chromebooks and we had left society for nature.
This was the 6,430th frame that I had ever shot with this particular camera, which was a Japanese version of a Canon Rebel t-3. The menus were all in Japanese and I had adapted a film lens to use on it. I didn't know it at the time, but I would customize all other cameras and lenses following that because I wanted a specific look. (Spoilers it's the look you all follow and enjoy today)
I got that camera from a pawn shop for $200. I had the lens from a film camera I got at an antique store. I took some really good and really bad photos with it, but ditched it for my first full frame professional camera later in the summer. Which is what I launched my career with back in Tipp when we were done in Cincinnati.
I found this canteen hanging from a tree deep in the trails of Hocking Hills. My kids were all fighting and arguing in the background somewhere. Brooke was probably arguing with them. I was staring at this canteen. Thinking about adventure. This was the photo that told me I could go be a photographer.
It's not particularly in focus or sharp, but I do love it.
I don't miss the hysteria of 2020 (not that now is all that different) but I miss the family time and aimless wandering.

I told this story because I was irresponsible with my schedule and there's a strong possibility that I have a session today that I don't know about. 😬
I don't know for sure, but I seemed to think I had stuff to do today at some point, but I can't find a shred of evidence to suggest that outside of the possible clue I left myself that I can't remember the meaning behind.
How can that happen?! Well, sometimes people call me when I'm climbing literal mountains and I make the dumbest notes possible. It's also possible I was driving, or taking a nap or adventuring in some way. I'm human 😂
It's also possible I'm misinterpreting my own clue, in which case- just ignore all of this.
However I'm fully prepared for someone to send me a message at 7pm saying "we're here"

Adventures ya know?

08/28/2026

was a success.
My two kids almost missed it completely.
Madelyn and Mel made it, hung out with their friends and we all enjoyed a beautiful and foggy sunrise.
I had intentions on only shooting these two, but Brooke made sure I was in charge of the big group photo. Tag whoever you see 😁

08/27/2026

It was a beautiful, yet obnoxiously windy evening for Bella’s senior session. Her and her mom drove down from over an hour away to hang out with me at Deeds Point last night. I forgot that the fountains were a thing until I got there, so that was a very wet and fun end to our night. 🤣
Bella was cool, very chatty and patient with me hobbling around. She did not want the same vibe for senior photos that her classmates all got. We definitely achieved that.
Dayton was great. Everyone but the bicyclists were friendly. RIverscape was being enjoyed by lots of folks. We didn’t see a single crazy thing aside from two young men sitting on the edge of a building, but they were cool. They may have catcalled Bella but I couldn’t tell you what they said, that’s just what it sounded like.
I appreciated both Bella and her mom. We’ve had to reschedule this a few times so I’m thankful we got a really great night in finally.

08/25/2026

I was asked the following question by my friend and fellow photographer Michelle, and I'd like to expand upon it and my own feelings surrounding it.

Do you think you're better at taking spicy photos (bo***ir) because you're a man and know what men like to see? Or are you just better at posing and making women feel comfortable? She went on to say that my work is vastly different from anything else and she wanted to understand it better.

I gave her what I thought was a very confusing answer. But I've been thinking about it all day.

The first thing I'll say is that I don't look at my work as objectively good or different. It's just my work.
I don't compare it to anyone else's work because I go out of my way from seeing anything. I've brought this up before and it blew everyone's mind as well as upset a few people. I don't look at anyone else's work. Not because I'm insecure about it, or because I can't handle anyone doing things better than me. I do it to remove ego from the equation. Mine and theirs. I prefer to make art in a bubble. I don't want to be force fed inspiration from an algorithm, I want to find mine in the people I work with. I don't want to find a vibe from a photo I've seen online and then pass that on to whoever my client is and then make them do poses that someone else shot in a location that looks as close as whatever I saw on Instagram. That feels disingenuous to me. It's one thing to have a client want something specific, but most of the time, I'm deciding what we're doing. In those moments I want to do whatever suits the client best. They are the art after all. Not the clothes, not the poses, not the location, not the combination of buttons I push or dials I spin. The person, their body, their emotions, their soul if you believe in one. That's the art to me.

I don't think that men are better at working with women, but I do think for some women it's easier to work with men and others it's easier to work with women.
I think that bo***ir work is definitely the most difficult form of photography to get right. I have gotten it right by most people's standards. There's some of my background in psychology there, but the heavy lifting is done by having a different working rapport with everyone I shoot. I treat every session differently because everyone I shoot is different. They're all in different places in life, different comfort levels and they all have different expectations. I don't run my business like a corporate entity. My personality is my own. There is no script. No shot list. I'm not shooting to drive a further sale later. I'm using my eyes and my surroundings to create a genuine experience. Nothing is staged. It's as safe as we're mutually agreeing to be and then the experience plays out. I legitimately don't know what will happen until it does, then we settle in that and explore. From what I understand, this is where I differ from other people the most.

I think that women who are in this field do an incredible job at making photography a product and influencing people to consume that. Which probably sounds awful, but I truly don't mean for it to. There is most definitely a market for that. It doesn't make their art less. It doesn't make them bad. No negativity. But the women I work with don't want that. Even in other areas of photography. I have found success because I'm not that. I couldn't be even if I wanted to. It's my own personal opinion that men who try to be like the women perpetuate the creepy male photographer stereotype and that's a whole other area of the conversation.

I also think that most people think that they're comfortable with nudity and they're not. That goes for clients and photographers. Feedback I've heard most often is that clients first bo***ir experience before working with me is that it either overly clinical, overly sexualized, the photographer couldn't figure out how to pose them or ran out of poses quickly, the most frequent thing though, they just didn't feel comfortable. That's the problem with taking photos that models posed for and applying it to everyone. There's a disconnect. A lapse of trust. I call it seeing behind the curtain. They're painting by numbers instead of letting the brush tell you how to stroke the canvas.
I am comfortable around all possible types of nudity. I have no trouble looking people in the eye, but I also don't have trouble sexualizing my subjects the appropriate amount. It's not an all or nothing situation. It's nuanced. Go too far, it's p**n. Don't push your subjects, they won't be happy. If you're constantly taking the same photo of different women in the same spaces and context, they'll start feeling like a product instead of a person.

I don't think of my own work as being the best or better than anything that's out there. I only see what I see and shoot what I shoot. The photos of Ashley are amazing because they're of Ashley, or Michelle, or Jessica or Carley or Tiffany or Heather, Mandy, Melanie, Tassha. They are the art. It might be because I'm different, but I don't think it's because I'm better at anything necessarily.

It's the same with my other work. It's not work. It's their art.

08/24/2026

I don’t know what stole the show more during this session, the sky or little Kennedy.

I love meeting new people, especially MY kind of new people. I met Taylor, Matt and Kennedy at Canal Lock Park for a mini session. What a session it was. I instantly vibed with everyone. Kennedy especially. She was step for step with me, talking my ear off the whole time. Very reminiscent of my youngest. She was such a whimsical kid. She picked all the blooms and grass she could find to make a variety of bouquets while we talked about snakes and ghosts.

Mom and dad were thankful for how tired she was at the end. I guarantee everyone slept well. 🤣

I loved our time together. It seems like they had a great time too because we chatted about working together again as soon as we were done.

The Tipp City Photographer

09/02/2026

09/01/2026

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

08/29/2026

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

08/25/2026

08/24/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request