This past spring and summer I have had a weekly, if not a daily reminder of how long I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing. I have taken a minute here and there to reminisce about where I started and how I’ve not only watched all these beautiful kids grow up but how I’ve grown behind the lens. In life and as a photographer. I get emotional weekly if not daily. And I let myself.
And that’s the thing. Everyone has a beginning in this industry (dear lord I was not a skilled photographer right out of the gate by any means) but I had people believe in me…. from the very beginning. Strangers to me then. Friends and family to me now. I spent years honing my skills. I learned in an age when digital didn’t exist. Where there were no online classes. There were no online educators. I physically went to classes to learn. In a dark room. There were a few online forums and I learned purely from critique. And it was harsh most of the time. (Which I still think is the best way… it’s very hard to get better at anything from likes on social media)
This all being said…. I consider these kids… mine. I get to not only watch them grow up before my eyes, I get to follow their careers as they get older. I get to see them become…them. And more often than not, they keep in touch with me.
This beautiful girl….
I couldn’t find when exactly I started shooting her. But I was able to find a photo circa 2009. She was tiny. And now look at her. A beautiful strong and confident woman. Navigating adulthood in a time where there is literally no map to help her. And I have no doubt she will go on to do AMAZING things.
Thank you friends and family for believing in a skill I’m still working on. But thank you mostly for taking me along for the ride. It’s been pretty amazing.
