I’m not going to lie to you, I don’t have a traditional photography journey. I don’t remember the first photo I took or my first camera.
Growing Up
I do, however, remember that my dad always had a fancy Nikon camera. He used his camera to take photos of my siblings and me at family events and mainly outdoor photos – landscapes, trains, animals, vacation views, etc. I remember taking lots of disposable camera photos of family and friends and the sweet anticipation of getting the film developed to see if any of them turned out okay. Then one birthday I received a digital point and shoot Nikon camera and I was so excited. However, I never thought that a camera could be such an important part of my life.
Careers that shaped my photography journey
I was not a person that knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. When I went to college, I was undecided for quite a while finally choosing an applied communications degree. After graduating, I found my first real job at a small little advertising agency. This is where I really allowed to tap into my creativity and my photography journey really began.
I learned all the technical aspects of photography from camera settings to editing final images. Oddly enough, I actually started with food photography. This required me to understand all the aspects that make a photo truly interesting to the viewer. Professional food photography, editing it to look even more delicious, and marketing it is no joke – we see you McDonald’s. We then began offering corporate portraits, allowing me to dive even deeper with photoshop techniques retouching skin, eyes, teeth, hair, etc. I will always be grateful for the opportunities to learn and grow with my amazing team while there.
Then I had the opportunity to work in the Goodwill Marketing Department, an organization near and dear to my heart. I learned so much working alongside some of the most talented, detail-oriented, and ambitious women I’ve ever met.
The Why Behind it all
During all this, I had been married, celebrated friends and family getting married, and watched as they started families of their own. It made me realize how quickly time moves and the importance of capturing these moments. I offered to photograph maternity photos for a family member and fell in love with capturing people and emotions. This sparked my photography journey and turned into a little business around 2017. Any free time I had during this time was for learning and growing my photography skills.
After 5 years of side-hustling, I left my 9-5 to pursue my photography career full time. I wanted the opportunity to give each and every client that booked with me a more personalized experience and photos they would cherish for the rest of their life. And I want to be more present for my family because I truly believe that family is the most important thing in this life and time spent with the people we love is never a waste.
