“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs
How I came to find and love the work I do...
During my childhood (and particularly in high school), I had the opportunity to be exposed to some wonderful photography. However, I never picked up anything other than a “point and shoot” camera until 2005. Several things happened that year that made me absolutely determined to invest in a good camera and learn how to use it, especially with a new baby on the way. And like many photographers, my original intent was not to become a professional. I just wanted to take great photos of my family.
It did not take long, however, for me to fall in love with what became my creative outlet. The reality at that time in my life, was one filled with clinical depression and high levels of anxiety. Despite having wonderful and supportive people in my life, depression made things feel as if finding comfort would be difficult. Or worse yet, out of reach. With severe bouts of sadness and increasing amounts of anxiety, I needed something that would help me see things as beautiful again. I believe God helped me find that camera, truly, to help me. While photographing our new baby boy, or a flower, or our daughter playing in the cul-de-sac, time seemed to be suspended. For brief moments while the camera was in front of my eyes, I was not worried or anxious about the future. Nor was I thinking of any past or current pain. I lived in the moment, present, and fully seeing the beauty that existed right in front of me. Photography provided a much needed relief to an otherwise painful period of my life, and I am deeply grateful. It was a “matter of the heart” as Steve Jobs said. I knew somewhere deep that I had found my path. I knew when I found it…
I spent five years learning my camera, taking lessons from a one-on-one tutor, and photographing people willing sit in front of my camera as I practiced. By 2010 I was working as a freelance photographer for a wedding photography company, and by late 2013 went out on my own. In 2014, I received my Certified Professional Photographer designation from Professional Photographers of America. And now I invest in educational workshops to further master the craft.
If you read my blog post last month, you’ll know how much I cherish having heirloom portraits of my grandmother. They are important, historical parts of my own story. The photographers who took those images did a “great work” by forever memorializing someone I loved dearly. And when all you have left of someone is their photograph, you quickly realize that portrait photography truly is a “great work”. I believe that. Gratefully, depression no longer overtakes my life. However, I still find that I am more fully in the present moment, and see things as more beautiful when I have a camera in front of me. All I see or can think about is the person I am photographing at the time. All I see is the beauty they hold and share with me. I love what I do.