It's more than passion...

Photography is my LITERAL calling. I have been a creative mind for as long as I can remember with an imagination that never ran out of ideas to entertain myself. I was ALWAYS taking photos, for as long as I can remember. From disposable to digital I loved snapping moments in time and putting them on my walls. As a teenage girl most of my walls were decorated with cuttings from Seventeen magazine and developed photos from my disposable camera. Photo albums, and then as technology progressed, the digital world of it all fascinated me. Editing a photo! I was all in. I loved adding bold edits to my profile photos. The passion continued to grow. When I was in middle school, I dreamt of a professional camera and I asked for a Nikon. I had been eyeing it at the Best Buy for months. Every time we went in I loved to put my hands on the cameras. One Christmas it finally happened for me. I got my first camera.  A Nikon d40x. That thing was a beast on AUTO mode and I thought I knew it all then, if only I would have stuck with learning more about photography then...

Once I went to high school, My camera stayed in a bag, I cared more about going out with friends and did not want to damage my camera. I photographed friends, I photographed my pets, and my surroundings on and off. It wasn't until I was older that the passion reignited. See I was a LVMT before becoming a photographer. I was working at a local vet clinic when I became a mom. It really started my planning to stay at home to be with my children. I did the lists of pros and cons and wrote out my skills list and tried to think of what I could do to make my own flexible schedule, be at home with my kids, and work weekends. Photography naturally was the first logical choice. However I didn't consider myself a professional until I put in the time, investment, and care into selecting a new camera and gear, I joined every free webinar I could, I learned my camera, I learned the exposure triangle, I learned the tips and tricks that other photographers learned to become successful. I put in the time. I built my portfolio and began to charge. I charged $50 my first session and included like 80 images (who knows what to do with that many photos?). You wanna know what I learned?

There could be 100 other photographers who went through the same process, taught themselves how to edit and do the job and not one of our works would be the same because we are all  unique and we all see color differently, we all love different styles and we all create art.

I love photography because its part of my story, its a way to express my creativity, its a way to bring joy to others, to offer services that allow moms who are always on the other side of the camera to finally get photos with her babies. Its capturing the first moments of a family after a new addition of the family, or being the first non family member to know about your pregnancy announcement, it's loving each client's children so much that you have a treat basket they can choose from because being a kid and posing for photos is hard.

I love being a photographer and that is the best job, I could have ever imagined. It's tough some days like anything else you put your time, sweat, and tears into. It's the reward that keeps me coming back for more. Seeing my work as your profile pic, seeing that tag, and all the recommendations to your family saying I am really good and you loved your photos. That is some history and why I love photography. It's apart of my life and I am so glad it is.