2 years later

The very words I wrote almost 2 years to this date... Written on Sept 10,2011

I use to sit at my job and wonder .. why am I here. I spend most of my life right here in this building . Am I doing what I enjoy? Well I was to some degree. But I was never truly happy. The truth of the matter was like alot of people I was stuck. I needed the money and this was a good job and I enjoyed what I was doing . But I dreamed of being one of those people that got to do what they really wanted in life. The ones who became what they wanted to be. I came across a quote that inspired me . It said... its never to late to be what you might have been -George Eliot-. Little did I know that those twelve words were about to change my life. Ever since I can remember I have been taking pictures. I may not have always had a nice camera but I was capturing every moment of my life . I always felt I had the vision and the talent but lacked in a proper camera and the chance to .. take a chance so to speak. In high school I was able to use the SLRS at school and bring my images to life in the darkroom they made available. Back then things were alot more complicated if you planned to produce your own images. Now flash forward to the present and everything has changed. That is everything but how to actually create an exposure. I stared at those 12 words and read them over and over. And in those moments an idea was born. I would take the talent that God himself has given me and do what I love. And this is were the story begins....... one step at a time I will become who I should have been.

Aug 30,2012

"Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there's a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living." Anonymous

Its been almost two years since I started my journey . And what a journey it has been. I have grown so much in the last two years . As a mother, photographer, a wife, homemaker. To say this has been an easy ride would be lying but it has been an enjoyable one . It is said that God will put the right people in your path , those who will help you become what you were meant to be. And he sure has not given me a short supply. I am so grateful for all the people whom I have met , and even not ever met but have become a part of my life. My journey would have been much harder had they not been there to lend a hand to me. Some believe that to get to the top you should climb over everyone in your way and don't look back. I believe that the best way to get to the top is to push the person in front of you from behind . Lift them higher, help them get to the top . Because sooner or later when they reach it guess what. So do you. I look back now at when I started and can not believe how my work has changed. Everyday I try to photograph something. Even if it is just a flower. Because everyday is a chance for me to learn something new. And of course my family has always been my favorite target. My children are so use to being photographed it has become second nature to them. Some day when I leave this world for the next I will surely leave behind a legacy that my children will cherish. For no matter where this journey takes me I will be documenting there lives every single day. This is a sometimes frustrating business to break into. Spending hours and hours trying to come up with the new best idea, the promotion that everyone will love. Striving to always be better then the day I was before. Never really happy with my work no matter how perfect of a shot I get. I am always challenging myself for bigger, better, the learning curve in this business never ends. In these few short years I have now become active in school and church script programs. I am volunteering my time and images to the humane society to help find homes for the animals there who desperately are in need of a portrait makeover. I have even had several chances to photograph horses. One of my photography bucket list entry's. Senior portrait's, family sessions, pet portraits, threw all of them one thing has not changed. I still love to photograph children. It was my first love and continues to be . There is something so precious to me to have the opportunity to follow around a child and capture there little personalities. Yes I will probably never be able to pull of a 30 min session. When I first began for some reason I believed this is what I needed to do. I guess that is part of what makes me different. To get what I want ... takes time. So if you are booking a session with me plan on at least an hour. I cant ever seem to walk away from a session any sooner then that when it comes to children and families. Yes I have been told I over shoot sessions. But you know ... that is ok . Because at the end of the day when I am in front of my computer and I see the images I captured. And I begin to piece little glimpse of there lives together . When a photograph of a child can bring a lump in my throat and they are not even my flesh and blood.. well to me that is priceless. And well worth the extra effort. And now two years later my story continues.. having become who I should have been and striving to be so much more. Thank you to everyone whom has helped me get this far. I am truly grateful!