It’s been one year since I jumped in head first with my business and made it social media official. Realizing it’s been a year got me thinking about my whole photography process and how I am where I am today.
I got into photography after my oldest son was born 14 years ago. I bought a Canon film camera. I don’t even remember which one it was. Remember back then you bought a roll of film, shot the entire thing, got the pictures developed and they were all useless? I remember getting frustrated and not understanding how to work the camera.
When my youngest son was born 10 years ago, I invested in a digital point and shoot. I don’t remember then what camera it was then either but I remember thinking how amazing it was that I could now look at the back of the camera to view the image. It was going to be amazing for sure. I was shooting in auto all of the time and while some images came out alright most of them were not. I remember thinking…I must need a nicer camera. So I upgraded to my first DLSR. Again, while some of the pictures were coming out ok, still shooting on auto, most of the pictures were not useable. The frustration of not understanding the camera and with having 2 kids home all day to keep me busy, I put the camera away. I would pick it up every now and again but I felt the frustration of not knowing how to use it overwhelm me and I would put it back in the camera bag and there it would sit.
About 3 years ago my husband started a business and needed product shots. I knew an ok amount about the camera to take the photos but hadn’t picked up a camera in years due to the convenience of the iPhone. I took the product pictures the best I could, which they came out better then I had thought they would. Taking the pictures reminded me of how much I loved having the camera in my hand. I thought now with my kids being older and a plethora of online educational resources, I could really learn how to use a camera. So I started, I bought a new camera and spent hours upon hours reading and watching tutorials. I also had a photography friend who would help me out when I had questions. Slowly I started to figure things out.
The more I watched videos and the more I took pictures the more I fell in love with photography. I could see my photography improving and I was getting more comfortable with the camera but I wasn’t at a point where I felt confident enough to share my journey with anyone. Last year my friend said to me, “I’m going to make your website.” and so he did. After that I started my Facebook and Instagram pages. Putting myself out into the world was scary but I was amazed at the amount of people who were interested in what I was doing. I was amazed by how many people wanted me to take their family photos. This past year has been amazing. I regret not staying with it when I should have but I am so thankful that I am here now. I’m so thankful for my clients who share a part of themselves and their family with me and I’m thankful for my family who has supported me. I cannot wait to see what the future brings. I’m so excited to continue to learn and grow as a photographer and I’m so excited to continue the relationships I have with my clients as their families grow.
Here’s a few pictures to show my progression. I wish I had earlier stuff to show you but 2011 is the earliest I could find. If I find any I will be sure to share. 🙂
