My Beautiful Struggle

I have so many thoughts, feelings and emotions spinning through my head right now, I have to get them out! Please excuse my writing, I am not a writer but any means but really want to share my thoughts.

A few months ago my fellow photographer friend asked me to go with  her to a photography conference in Dallas. I didn’t really follow I Heart Faces but I was open to going and learning more. I am so grateful for Brandie for inviting me. Not only did I get to strengthen our friendship but was also able to form some new ones. I love talking about photography so this was such a fun thing to do, talk about photography all day with people who love it just as much as I do. That is one thing that I miss about college, sitting around with people who have the same interests as I do and really discussing photography. Trying to understand the deeper meaning of our images and why the photographer capture this image. I told stories with my pictures, they inspired me. Somehow along the way after graduation I feel like I have lost sight of what truly inspires me. My kids inspire me, smiles, laughter, joy, sadness, bonding, colors, light…LIFE inspires  me. Don’t get me wrong I thoroughly enjoy posed pictures with everyone looking and smiling at the camera, but I think that Kelle Hampton said it best at the conference this weekend, “Don’t worry about capturing the perfect image, capture the most beautiful memories”. I think I have lost sight of that and was only wanting my kids to look at me and smile those perfect little smiles. If I didn’t get the smile I wasn’t happy. I really feel like Kelle was speaking right to me. She made several comments that I am going to apply to not only my life but my photography as well.

1. Capture the beauty of the ordinary.

2. Notice natural surroundings.

3. Focus on the little details.

4. Find a different perspective.

5. Wide angles = the whole picture.

6. Preserve favorite routines.

7. What INSPIRES me? OPEN YOUR EYES! places, food, colors, light

8. Photography can be used as my bad mood therapy. Just go for a drive and take pictures.

9. Bring my camera as a security blanket when I feel out of place.

10. SEE what your lens sees. Beautiful moments happen that you might not be seeing till you open the image on your computer. LOOK for these moments.

11. I really struggle with BEING CONFIDENT! I try really hard not to get my feelings hurt when people cancel or use someone else, but not matter how hard I try it still hurts and makes me question myself and my talent. Well I have cried my last tear. I am happy with myself and what I do. I am trying hard to perfect my craft everyday and that is what matters, I love what I do and I believe in myself and my art.

12. Challenge yourself. I am challenging myself to be better every-time I pick up my camera!

MY PHOTOGRAPHY IS MY ART. IT IS WHAT’S INSIDE ME. I can’t wait to show you the stories I will tell.

I am excited. I am renewed. I am refreshed.

I can’t wait to find out where my story is going, thank you for joining me on this journey. Thanks for your support, it means the world.

I want to leave you with my thesis work from Texas State University were I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Digital and Photographic Imaging. The title of my thesis was “Beautiful Struggle”, which is also very suiting to what I am going through now, simply put a beautiful struggle.

I was wanting to show through a series of images the story of life with multiples. My goal was to show people the sweet moments and the harder moments, and when those moments combined we witness the beautiful complexity of the with multiples.

Now my goal isn’t to necessarily go back to lifestyle shooting but to hopefully learn to merge lifestyle and portraiture together.