When people ask me how I became a photographer, I always credit my little family of three. It was the birth of my oldest that pushed me to stop just being a photographer stalker and finally learn how to really use a camera. It was the birth of my second that pushed me to leave a career I thought I’d always be in to pursue a different path. And it was my husband who supported me fully with every stroke of inspiration, ultimately being the one who convinced me to take the leap when I was teetering on the edge and ready to lose the courage.
Which is why recently I found myself asking the question of why I ever stopped featuring stories of them. My people. My life.
I guess the answer could be because I put myself in a box of “wedding photographers show only wedding work” and/or because I use film for personal work and didn’t want to confuse anyone.
But then June and July happened. The two months where I had a string of inquiries that ultimately booked me not because I was a wedding photographer. Not because they loved the camera I used to shoot. They were hiring me because of the authentic stories I told through imagery and the heart and emotion they saw in the images. Some even specifically stated they chose me because I didn’t look like a typical wedding photographer.
Which led to the realization that I should be sharing more from my personal side of life.
Because my husband and girls are indeed my heart. And whether it’s with film or an SD card or at a wedding or in your home, that same heart is what’s guiding the way I see a scene and aim to capture all the emotion I can with a little click of shutter. Plus, if I’m going to ask you to share a bit of your life with me, it’s probably fair that I do the same once in a while.
So, before I start getting really cheesy and saying “heart” fifty more times, I’ll just stop here and leave you with scenes from our week away at one of our favorite places, Folly Beach. It was the kind of week where we were blessed with 75 degree temperatures in July, sisters who decided to love more than fight (and let us actually sit and enjoy a drink in the sand for the first time as parents), time with my sweet parents and sister/brother in law, and the addition of two new family members named Melvin and Spinach. The easiest pets you’ll ever have.
(All pictures taken with a Canon EOS 1-N and Kodak Portra 400, scanned by The Find Lab, with the exception of the kayaking pictures…those were taken with a Fuji Quicksnap disposable camera and developed at our local camera shop. A fun little experiment that ended in happiness).
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