Hello!
Welcome to my blog! I thought I would take some time and share a little bit about myself.
Although I have just recently started my business, I have actually been into photography and taking pictures since I was 16. The first thing I ever bought with my first paycheck was a camera. I still remember marching into Target and picking out the exact one I wanted. It wasn't anything fancy, just a simple point and shoot Olympus silver camera. But man, I loved that thing! (This was of course before everyone had a camera build into their phones.)
I took a couple of photography courses in college to learn about composition and the basics of how my camera worked (I even shot with film back then and learned how to develop photos in a darkroom!). But I can't say I was really serious about photography until around 2014, when my first daughter was born.
I knew I wanted to have lots of good pictures to document her life as she was growing up, but I also knew there was no way I would be able to afford a professional photographer every couple of months. We were also living halfway across the country in Arizona at that point in time, and I knew I wanted good photos to send back east to my family since they wouldn't be able to be there to see her how she was growing themselves. So I decided, I would learn how to take better photos myself!
I finally got serious and started researching, studying, and learning all about my camera. And boy, did I have a blast! Of course it didn't hurt that I had the perfect little model, which made it that much more fun! I suddenly found myself not only taking photos of special occasions anymore, but taking photos of everything from everyday normal life. Gradually, after months and month of practice, I slowly started getting better.
Those first few months of being a new mom were probably the most emotional moments of my life, both good and bad! But I found myself wanting to remember it all. I discovered that my camera was a way not only for me to document what was happening in my life, but also how I felt at that moment in time. Looking at a photograph was like being able to walk back into a memory, and it was something that I never wanted to loose.
I started looking around at other moms and their children, and I wanted so very badly for them to have these wonderful memories of their families and their children as well. I think sometimes we can get so caught up in how hard parenting is and the business of everyday life; we can forget to take a step back and take a look at just how beautiful motherhood really is. They grow up so fast! It really is true - blink and you miss it. But when I had my pictures to look back on, those moments came back. Those moments were now precious memories that I could revisit any time I wanted.
That is what I want to do for you and your family. I want to be able to preserve special memories that you will treasure forever. I don't want you to stress about everyone looking perfect and smiling happily into the camera. I want you to be able to remember what is was like when your little toddler asked you to hold them, or to play a game with you. What it felt like to watch your partner become a parent and fall in love with them even more. To remember just how tiny and sweet and precious those little babies are, when in the moment all you can think about is just how tired you are. I want to capture your family as it is, because those are the moments that will fill you with joy at every glance.
I now have three little girls of my own, and my oldest is about to turn 6. I'll be honest, some days having three little kids are really rough. But some days, I wish that I could give anything to freeze time and be to keep them just how little they are. And on those days, I break out the photo albums, and remember.....
