I have always believed that we are each called to a purpose in life. For some, the knowledge of that purpose arrives early. For others, it’s discovered and molded over a series of challenges, with incredible achievements and deep pain. It is through our struggles that we gain strength, wisdom and direction.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a deep thinker. I have always seen and felt things in ways others around me have not. In my younger years, I struggled with that but as I have aged, I have come to call it a gift.
My journey to find photography was definitely one full of twists and turns. My childhood was good because of an amazing woman whom I was lucky enough to call my Mom. For all of the bad I encountered, she was the reason I focused more on the good. Her strength fed me as a child. She taught me the value of of my dreams and my heart.
It was in my early teens that I was first given a camera, a point and shoot with film to be developed. I found myself drawn to photographing friends and family trips and places I loved. As the years passed, I was given my first Nikon in high school. Those were still the days of film. I signed up for a photography class and it was heaven! My teacher taught us the basic fundamentals and my passion grew.
It was also during high school when I was introduced to a local modeling agency with ties to a worldwide agency in New York. Suddenly I was looking at photography in a different light – I was now the one in front of the camera lens. Those were some exciting years. I met a lot of people and learned a side of photography not many get to experience.
In the end I chose to let go of the modeling and focused instead on working toward a career I felt called to – law enforcement. I share this because believe it or not, it was during my 21-year career in law enforcement that my passion for photography rekindled. Photography became an outlet for me during those years. I found solace in photographing places and people that I felt connected to. I began to learn what it meant to tell a story through pictures. I purchased my first Nikon DSLR in those years and used it to capture my children in so many precious moments that I still cherish today. A good friend of mine was running her own photography business back then and I soaked up her knowledge like a sponge.
When I retired from law enforcement, a series of events occurred that led me down some difficult roads. I was in a very dark place until I once again found solace in my photography, only this time I found a new purpose. It was photography that called to my soul and awakened me. In that dark place I embraced my sorrow and loss and I learned how to heal myself. I learned to find strength in my struggle. I learned the value of our moments.
Friends, that dark time in my life turned out to be a blessing and it made me so much stronger. It reopened my eyes and my heart and allowed me to once again see and feel differently. It realigned my spirit and my faith and gave me a purpose with my photography.
I am no longer the photographer who wants to rush through each session and move on to the next one. I have lived the highs and survived the lows, like so many of you. So when you ask me why I chose this profession, why I invest so much of myself into my clients and their photographs, the answer is simple. I know the true value of our moments. I understand how delicate and precious life is. I want to walk with you and know your story and share the bonds that connect all of us together. I want to fill your heart and home with printed photographs that tell the beautiful story of your life and your love. I believe our brokenness makes us beautiful and we should love our broken pieces, for they make us shine!
Whether your life-story is carrying you through a season of joy or a season of pain, know that I see you and I am here to walk that journey with you, just as you are.
May you always walk in beauty…
