Part 1
I could probably talk for days about why I fell in love with photography. But, you guys are busy people. So, i’ll keep it short(ish).
My love for photos goes back to before I can actually remember. My Grammy told me that she would pull out photo albums dating back to the early 1900’s. I would sit on her lap, she would tell me stories, and point out all our Italian relatives (yes, it looked a little like the Godfather cast) and I loved every minute of it.
As I grew older, I remember being in awe of the memories that those photo albums held and I would ask to see them again and again. Those photos were a time capsule, they brought my Grammy right back to the moment that photo was taken, her eyes would light up as she replayed that memory like it was yesterday. Those photo albums helped me put faces to names, I can picture my great grandmother, whom I never had a chance to meet…I can see my grandfather’s old Italian restaurant in New Jersey…I can imagine my grandparents when they were younger.
My beloved Grammy, now joins those photo albums in memory. I could not be more thankful to have an abundance of photos to look back on, of her whole life, especially recent ones of her showing those same photo albums to my children.
In 2015, I had my 3rd sweet baby, Lucy. I wanted to capture every milestone of her first few years, every stage, every minute. I didn’t want to forget any of it. My Iphone photos weren’t cutting it. The print quality left much to be desired and I could never see the details of her face or her silly expressions, the very details I wanted to look back on years from now were missing. I put albums together of my older two children and noticed the same things…fuzzy, cloudy, blurry photos, with the occasional winner mixed in. I knew I wanted to change that. I also knew that hiring a professional photographer (pretty much to walk around documenting my children) was not an option. So, I picked up my starter DSLR that my husband gifted me, switched to M (manual mode) and snapped a few of Lucy’s adorable gummy smile. They were awful (like really awful).
But, I loved them anyway! It felt natural and I was excited to learn #allthethings. The next few years were spent learning everything I could about photography. I read blogs, took photos at every opportunity, attended webinars, and education courses. I stayed up late, and woke up early, learned from photographers I admired, watched countless tutorials, while learning how to edit, focus, and pose clients. I invested time and money to truly understand how light worked and how it effected every aspect of photography. I learned what aperture is and why it matters, I learned when to adjust my shutter speed and when to use which lenses. I did shoots for friends and family, and then took a deep breath and launched my business. As time went on I cultivated a shooting and editing style that was specific to me and my brand. I loved it and my clients loved it. I literally fell in love with my new career.
More than 5 years later, and I am still in love with what I do. I have been blessed to have done a variety of photo sessions… everything from newborns, to family’s of 30+ people, corporate headshots and staff photos, to engagements, senior portraits, weddings, events, and so much more!
I’ve been able to donate my time and skills to events that raise money for enslaved women in third-world countries, as well as help fundraise for a local preschool, sponsor my son’s baseball team, and gift sessions to families in need. This is what makes my job go from great to incredible.
Seeing my clients smile, cry happy tears, and see my work hanging in their homes and on Christmas cards is one of the greatest delights of my life.
If you are anything like me…looking back on photos where you can truly focus on faces, emotions, and connections can make time stop right there. Tell me that’s not pretty awesome?
…so all of that… and then some, that’s my ‘why’.
(Also, if you stuck around and read this whole thing, THANK YOU, you’re a rockstar)
Enjoy some photos of my sweet Grammy
