Why Photography?

My dad recently said, “I’m surprised you chose photography.  When you were a kid you were always drawing and writing.”  I sat there for a minute and knew instantly that he was right.  As a child I would tell anyone who asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up that I was going to be a writer or an artist.  All through high school I wrote novels and never went anywhere without my charcoals and sketch pads.  I would spend hours lounging on my bed, scribbling story ideas on notepads or sketching face after face, practicing eyes, noses and hands- the hardest body part to draw, I might add. 

The truth is, I didn’t choose photography.  It chose me.  Over 7 years ago my husband and I were faced with a tragedy.  We lost our baby girl, Jenna Tylene, when I was 5 months pregnant with her.  It was devastating.  It changed me.  It changed him.  It changed us.  I was 20 years old, married for 2 years, just ready start a new career. 

And then came the news. 

Jenna was sick.  She suffered from Turner Syndrome.  She was the 1 out of 2500.  What made her special, was that she also fell into the 2% that would live beyond 12 weeks gestation.  She was my little fighter and I would have given anything to have her in my life.  I still would.  We hold strong to our faith, and we know that one day we will all be with her, our little angel. 

Days turned to weeks and the weeks turned to months.  My life was not the same and I knew it never would be.  Part of my healing process was forcing myself to work with children.  I needed to surround myself with them.  So, I got a job at a children’s studio in the mall.  It was 4 hour a day therapy session.  Sometimes the days would make me laugh- like meeting Max and photographing him in his daddy’s Firefighter uniform.  Sometimes the days would make me cry- like photographing a newborn baby who was born on Jenna’s due date. 

As good, bad, and sometimes ugly as it was, it was exactly what I needed.

Three years ago I ventured beyond the studio walls and formed my own company.  I love every minute of it.  I made the transitions from film to digital, studio to on-location, and therapy to passion.  Having one been a children’s photographer, 90% of my business now is Seniors and Weddings.  I honestly couldn’t think of a better fit for me, than photography.

So, my response to my dad was that he shouldn’t be surprised.  Photography has become my creative outlet.  It’s the perfect blend of story-telling and art.  I’m still a writer, I’m still an artist.  I may not put pen or charcoal to paper as often as I used to, but now I put emotion to paper.