About...
Hello again! This is a little story about how I got to where I am today. I have also written a little about my personal life on the blog, so feel free to check that out too! My journey as a photographer started about six years ago during a particularly difficult time in my life. I think everyone finds that time immediately after college a little challenging, and I was no exception. I spent years working towards the goal of earning my degree and getting accepted to pharmacy school. My Dad is a pharmacist and I worked as a pharmacy technician to get through college, so it seemed like the logical (and sensible!) choice. I put my head down and focused on the task at hand. I was accepted to the University of the Pacific and graduated from Sacramento State soon after, and that is when the panic set it. I realized I had never really thought about actually being a pharmacist for the rest of my life. I had doubts, big ones, and I couldn't seem to shake them. It just didn't feel right. I made the incredibly difficult decision not to go, with absolutely no idea what I would do instead. I was very lucky to have the support of my family, even if they didn't quite understand my decision. My husband (then boyfriend) assured me I would figure it out, even though I wasn't so sure. We got engaged shortly thereafter and I focused on planning a wedding, deciding not to worry about finding a career right then. I was still working as a pharm tech, but got a job at a law firm on a lark and decided to see if I enjoyed the world of law. I did not. I quickly realized that, while I greatly respect those that work in the field of law, I am far too tender hearted (i.e. REALLY sensitive) and couldn't separate my feelings from the task at hand. I have always been an artistic soul, often finding myself lost for hours in the creation of one thing or another. I decided I needed to revisit that side of myself as a way to cope with my unhappiness in my professional life. My husband had a pretty decent camera so I started taking photos. Challenging myself to find beauty all around me was fantastic therapy. It made me feel good about myself and the world around me again. I'm sure that sounds dramatic, but at the time it was incredibly profound to me. It was my husband that first suggested photography as a profession. I scoffed. "No one is going to pay me to take photos of them! That is totally unrealistic!" His response was a simple "why?". I brushed the conversation off, but in the back of my mind I couldn't stop thinking about it. Why not? Why was I so intent on making the "responsible" decision. Why not take a gamble on actually enjoying what I do for a living? So I took baby steps and
researched the logistics of building a photography business. I practiced and taught myself everything I could about photography and my camera. I threw myself into it with everything I had. By far the hardest step was reaching out to another photographer for help. The fear of rejection loomed in my mind big time. I knew a girl from my childhood that was an incredible wedding photographer and I finally decided one day to take a chance and reach out to her. Looking back this makes me laugh because photographers get emails like this a lot. There was really no reason for her to agree to meet with me, and when I asked her years later why she did she really didn't have an answer. She just had a feeling and went with it. We met, we talked and I thanked her for her time, thinking I would never hear from her again. Three months later I got an e-mail asking if I wanted to assist (i.e. carry her bags) at her next wedding. For free. I thought I was dreaming. Um, YES!! I did a little happy dance and told my husband the good news. That wedding led to 26 more wedding that year!! I worked my way from bag carrier, to flash holder, to actually taking photos here and there and I loved every second of it. I felt alive and happy and more excited about life than I had in a long time. I owe everything to this photographer, who quickly became my best friend, and I will never be able to repay her for what she has given me. I worked 6-7 days a week for a year and a half, going to my dreaded desk job during the week and shooting 2-3 weddings every weekend. Looking back I have no idea how I did it, but I was determined to make photography my life. The day I left the law firm for good was the best and scariest day of my life. I was on my own now. It was up to me to make my dream work. It has been harder than I ever expected, and also better than I ever dreamed. I wouldn't change a thing about my journey because every step along the way taught me something I desperately needed to know to get where I am now. I absolutely love what I do, and at the end of the day that is all any of us can ask for. Thanks for taking the time to read my story!! I have written more on my blog here, here and here, with my favorite being the "50 things you didn't know you wanted to know about me". I'm such a weirdo. Enjoy :)