The Meaning We Carry Forward

December 25, 2025 / Dwayne D.C.Tucker II / 0 Comments

A TuckerTookThat Year-End Reflection Featuring the Corielle Holiday Sparkle Christmas Campaign

A Time for Reflection, Gratitude, and Slowing Down

The holidays are upon us. No matter your religion; Christmas, Hanukkah, or simply time away from work; this season has a way of slowing us down. Fourth quarter wraps Thanksgiving into a stretch of reflection, gratitude, and extra giving; and that, in itself, is a blessing.

Family, Connection, and Presence Beyond Proximity

Early this morning, I was on the phone with my grandmother, talking about how blessed we are to still be connected as a family; her being the root of it all. That conversation stayed with me. It reminded me that presence doesn’t always mean proximity. Even when you can’t be in the same room, the bond still holds. Family shows up in ways that aren’t always physical, but always felt.

Why This Holiday Campaign Changed My Perspective

With golf season, personal work, and portrait photography filling much of my year, holiday campaigns aren’t usually where I land. The final quarter tends to move quickly, with attention placed on finishing strong. This shoot slowed that pace and offered space to view the season from a more intentional place.

Corielle; Jewelry Rooted in Tradition and Family

Earlier this year, when I took Corielle on as a client, what stood out immediately was their respect for tradition and family. From naming pieces after loved ones to Cori’s story of how she found her way into jewelry design, the brand has always been rooted in connection. Knowing that, it felt meaningful to create images of pieces that will be gifted, worn, and eventually cherished inside other families’ stories.

Behind the Scenes; Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Behind the scenes of this shoot was a reminder of something I’ll never stop saying; teamwork makes the dream work. Even Santa has helpers. As the year comes to a close, it felt important to acknowledge the people who made not just this shoot, but so many moments this year, possible.

BTS – Corielle Holiday Sparkle Campaign

Gratitude for the People Who Make the Work Possible

To everyone who helped across different sets throughout the year; thank you. Your time, energy, and commitment never go unnoticed. And to Aneri, who has been my right hand in keeping our deliverables exactly where they should be; your consistency allows the work to live at the level it deserves. I appreciate you deeply.

Nearly Two Decades of Support in Miami

Aperture Pro Miami; you all feel like family to my business. Nearly two decades of support, problem solving, and showing up when it mattered has made countless shoots seamless. I wouldn’t have grown into the photographer I am today without you, and I don’t take that lightly.

Setting the Mood for a Seamless Holiday Production

And to Mint Photo Studios; thank you for a phenomenal Christmas setup. From the moment we walked in, the tone was set. The space carried the holiday energy we wanted these images to reflect, and production day flowed because of it. That kind of support changes everything.

This was my first time shooting at Mint Photo Studios – I have 2026 black and whites projects loading there…oops did I just drop what’s coming back in the photo-world from me?! 🙂

A Christmas Message of Gratitude

To anyone who finds their way to this blog; Merry Christmas to you and your family. To everyone I’ve worked with this year and in years past; thank you. I say it often, but it never loses its meaning. Thank you for allowing me to share my gift with you.

Sharing the Story Forward

With that said, I want to share a recap of this shoot. When I was coming up, it was the stories shared by those before me that inspired me to keep going. If this does that for even one person, then the work has done its job.

Stay tuned,

Wherever You Roll Putts, This Mat Makes You Better ⛳️

October 15, 2025 / Dwayne D.C.Tucker II / 0 Comments

All of my best rounds have one thing in common; and no, it is not just that I made putts.

The honest truth is that I put in time the night before, rolling putts on my Perfect Practice Putting Mat.

There is a club I play at in Florida that has one of these in their pro shop. The guys there will tell you, I would rather roll a few on that mat than hit balls or even putt on the practice green. That is how good it feels.

Now, let us be real. I am not claiming to be some legendary putter. If I were, you would already know my name. I am just a golfer who loves the game and does not gatekeep what helps me get better.

So, if you came here looking for something that will help you make more putts, you are in the right place.

After years of playing, and even caddying for all kinds of golfers, from scratch players to weekend warriors, one thing is always true; the good putters look calm, comfortable, and confident. They have a routine, their posture is dialed in, and they trust their stroke.

The nervous ones rush, skip their routine, or just hit it and hope.

Some even buy every miracle putter thinking that is “the cure”. Spoiler, it is not.

I am no doctor, but if I could prescribe something (outside of the “LAB”), it would be daily reps on the Perfect Practice Putting Mat.

Here is why:

Automatic Ball Return; no more chasing balls across the green. You hit one, it rolls back while you line up the next. That rhythm builds feel, confidence, and consistency.

Muscle Memory Training; every roll helps you groove your stroke, grip, and tempo. You start to feel how the ball leaves the face, and that connection shows up when it matters most on the course.

Real Confidence; when you stand over a five-footer for birdie, it is not a guess anymore. You have felt that roll a hundred times at home, in the office, or wherever you practice. You know it is going in.

I still love warming up on the greens before a round to get a sense of the grass speed, but I am already calibrated from the night before thanks to this mat.

My favorite routine is to start with two and three footers. Over and over. Feeling how the ball reacts off the face, working on grip pressure, and building that quiet confidence. Then I stretch it out to longer putts to dial in the pace.

If you want to pay a coach five hundred dollars an hour to stand behind the cup and toss your balls back, go ahead.

For the rest of us, the Perfect Practice Putting Mat is the move.

It is simple, effective, and fun.

You will start seeing results fast; maybe even enough to win that fifty-dollar skins game and brag all weekend.

Because you read this far, here is a little bonus.

Use code TUCKERTOOKTHAT10 for 10% off your order.

Go roll a few. You will thank yourself later, and maybe even me!

[Get Yours Here]

Stay tuned,

Behind the Lens: Keegan Bradley x JLab Audio x PGA Tour – Ryder Cup 2025

September 25, 2025 / Dwayne D.C.Tucker II / 0 Comments

A Portrait of Preparation

The first image you’ll see above is one of my portraits of Keegan Bradley from our June shoot. He’s sitting at his desk, focused on the final pre-production model of JLab’s Epic Lux Lab Edition, the custom Ryder Cup 2025 headphones that will travel to Bethpage Black with Team USA.

I start here because that one frame holds so much of what I believe in: dedication, detail, and the quiet work no one sees.

What the Ryder Cup Means

For anyone new to golf, the Ryder Cup is the sport’s most electric stage, a team showdown between the United States and Europe every two years. This year it lands at Bethpage Black in New York. For veterans of the game, you already know how much it means to wear your team’s colors in this event.

That weight is why this project mattered.

My Connection With Kenneth Patterson (KP)

Back when the Instagram golf community was still just a spark, Kenneth Patterson (KP) and I connected. There weren’t many of us who looked like us in that space, so it was easy to recognize each other. I first met KP at the Birds of Condor booth at the 2019 PGA Show, photographing candids. Since then we’ve stayed brothers; tournaments, phone calls, ideas traded across miles.

One lesson from those days: you never know which personal project today will open doors tomorrow. Years ago in Dallas, I brought my camera to a charity tournament just to document the guys. We had a great time, we won the tournament. Those images stuck with KP. When this Ryder Cup project came up, one of his first calls was to me.

KP’s Words About This Project

“Working with Keegan on this project was a full-circle moment. I’ve watched his growth from my TaylorMade / Adidas days to now as a player and a person; I see his growth and understand why he’s Captain. I know Team USA will be suited and booted for Bethpage with JLab’s custom edition. This project highlighted KB’s dedication to the role as RC Captain and how that dedication has touched the people in his inner circle. Special shout out Doc, Seve, Mark Bradley, the team at Flag and Anthem, and The Bears Club.

A black kid from Arkansas got a chance to do something monumental with a major champion and Ryder Cup Captain. One of my first calls was to Tucker with TuckerTookThat to document the day and tell the story via his lens.”

That’s bigger than an assignment. That’s trust. That’s community.

The Work Behind the Lens

Just as golfers grind on the range, putting in hours for a few moments under pressure, creatives do the same. This shoot was Florida in June’s preheat oven temperatures, scattered thunderstorms, tight time windows. My assignment was five minutes with Keegan inside a 20-minute block. Because of the relationships KP built, I also got to document behind the scenes of the film crew led by Jason Johnson and Sam Hoerdemann, with Sharron Matthews and Patrick Gallahue from PGA Tour bringing it all together.

Watching that team work, lighting, audio, production, scheduling, all reminded me of a tournament practice session. So many moving pieces, all aiming for a clean shot when the time comes.

Gratitude

I’m grateful to KP for trusting me, to Keegan for his focus and patience, to Sharron, Patrick, Jason, Sam, and every hand on set. It takes a village to make visuals that look effortless.

Behind-the-Scenes Gallery

Below you’ll find a gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from that day. I wanted to show not just the polished frames but the process: the cameras, the sweat, the laughs between takes. Because, like golf, the beauty is in the grind no one else sees. To access the full gallery, log in with your email to keep track of your favorites – Click Here See Full BTS Gallery.