Why Photography?

I've always been a fan of photos, ever since I was a kid and my first cameras were those disposable ones that you only got to see what you took after your film was developed. I think I spent more time taking pictures of random things than the normal kid. So much that my step mom complained about always having to develop the cameras with "nothing on them." 

I slowly progressed into "selfies" like every other teenager during the Myspace days. I had all the angles figured out for taking the perfect profile picture. I never knew that that knowledge would help me out as a business woman in the years to come. My grandma jokes saying I was doing the "selfie" before it became popular. I have disks full of images through the years, first floppy disks (Yes, that was a thing), to CDs, and then to my hard drives. While, I may not always do the traditional selfie, I do still love composing a great self portrait. 

I always liked taking pictures of other people and events, but I never really saw it as a passion until I was forced to take a class my second year of college. Like other students, I had switched my major a few times, actually a lot of times, so much I was at that point that I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up -Maybe nursing, maybe psychology, maybe graphic design? Either way, nothing was certain in my mind.

Photography didn't seem like the answer at that time either...

I hated my teacher, I hated the class assignments, and I hated the final project. At that point I just hated photography. I just bought this new camera I had no idea how to use and this teacher was making me take pictures of damn flowers and leaves. To me, it sucked, and by sucked I mean fork out my eyeballs and feed them to ants suck. I used to love taking photos of these kind of things, I didn't understand how I could hate it so much now. I felt like I never knew what I was going to do with myself.

But something happened and I changed my mind... 

I worked at JCPenney at the time, right in the children's department, and I folded clothes next to the portrait studio located there each day. Day in and day out, I would hear people complain about their pictures, the service, the feeling of being rushed. As people would walk out I would catch a glance at the portraits that they were complaining about, and yes, they were not much less than mediocre. That was on a good day, sorry the lovely ladies of JCP, but it's the truth. I thought, I could do better than that and when I got the opportunity to photograph my friend's children, I decided to give it a try. 

When I learned my camera, all the ins and outs of it, I fell back in love with photography. I love being able to see the world though a lens and capture it exactly how I want. I can make the saddest of places look beautiful. Taking a picture isn't just about snapping a button, it's about capturing the emotion of that setting, showing all of the details to why you found a reason to stop in your tracks and capture that particular moment. 

I became a photographer because I get excited every time I look through my lens, because I am able to give someone something that no one else can. A complete replication of that memory. Sure, many people can take a picture, but can they actually capture the emotional aspect of it? That there is my job, and I am enamored with every moment of it. From the first "click" to the final flattening in Photoshop. I pour my entire heart and soul into each image I produce.

I focus on those moments others would over look, those moments that truly define you, your spouse, your family. It's those little details that make up your life story, the story you want to showcase, the story that you love. I have a child, and I love when his personality shows over those perfect smiles, because he is two, he doesn't smile everyday. What he does though is smirks when he is told "no," he hides his face when he is bashful, he pouts his lip when he doesn't get his way. Those moments are what I aim to capture, sure smiles are great as well, but I love those huge, cheese filled, deep laughs you get from pure happiness. The ones that only you and your family can relate to, that is what I bring out in my sessions. That is why I chose to be a photographer.

Some might understand what I am saying and know exactly how I feel about my work, others may think I am crazy for putting so much time and energy into what they would call "just pushing a button." My dear misinformed people, it's so much more, and to find out why you'll have to continue reading throughout the year. ;P

 *Also, I have a vintage film camera obsession. These cameras posted are part of my collection.