I fell in love....
with photography at the tender age of seven. My grandmother gave me a camera for my birthday and I fell hard and fast. I took pictures of anything and everything. I couldn't wait to have each roll of film developed. Granted, the photos were far from perfect, but each and every photograph was precious to me. I would tuck them safely away in my albums and smile when I would flip through the pages.
I took my first photography class in high school. I can still remember the way the developing chemicals smelled, strong, slightly bitter and exciting. The anticipation of pulling that photograph out of the developing tray is an emotion that I will always cherish. That dark room quickly became one of my absolute favorite places to be. My art teacher demanded that we go deeper than just the technical aspect of photography. I admired her with a fierceness. She was tough on me, always making me work harder, strive for something more. She pushed me, and for that, I will always be incredibly grateful.
I met my husband straight out of high school and it was that overwhelming love - the kind that takes over rational thought and consumes you. We were married several years later and since then we have had three beautiful daughters. He is my soul mate, my true better half. He grounds me and pulls me out of the clouds when necessary. He is my partner, my team mate, my best friend. My children are my everything. They are my soul, my heart, my breath. They are my three little birds, promising me that every thing, every little thing, will be alright. No matter what.
Many photographers will tell you that this is what they are passionate about. And yes, true, I am passionate about photography, about my job. But it goes so much deeper than that. One of the things I love about photography is that it allows me to get to know people, to develop friendships, to give people something that captures the essence of who they are. I love that this job allows me to dive head first into the creative side of myself that is always itching to go crazy. I love that this job is forever changing, forever causing me to grow, forever challenging me. Just like my high school photography teacher. It is a job that demands you constantly learn, be inspired and be creative. I love that.
I am not your typical photographer. I ask for you to give me all of you during our time together. I want you to laugh, to play, to be you. I won't force you into an uncomfortable pose, but, I will ask for emotion, for you to be you. In return I will be me, all 100% quirky, goofy, slightly clumsy me. I will ask that you trust me. I will ask that you laugh with me, especially when I get completely and totally nerdy over the way the light is coming through the trees, or how the image that was in my head came together perfectly, just as I had pictured it, in my camera.
I promise you that together we can truly capture something that goes so much deeper than a photograph.
