Creativity runs through me, but I thought it had to look a certain way. I love all mediums of creativity: painting, sculpture, writing, but never thought of photography as one. As a photographer now, that’s such a silly thought, but I believe I was just limiting myself. I knew I wanted to do something creative with my life, but never thought photography could be more than a hobby.
My dad is a photographer, so I have always been around cameras. Growing up I loved pouring over our family photo albums seeing images of my parents as a newlyweds and us kids as little ones. I loved that you could capture such special moments in your life and treasure them forever.
My junior year of college, I studied abroad for a semester in Rome. It was the most life changing season of growth, allowing my creativity to flourish. I took a photography course and ended up having one of photos displayed in an art gallery in the city. Still, I came home and thought it was just a hobby.
Fast forward to November 2020 with the birth of our first child, Julia Rose. Of course she changed everything in the best possible way, as babies do. But I realized I now wanted to capture each stage of her life because it was already going by so fast. I grabbed my camera and took this photo. Looking at it, I felt a rush of joy. Not just looking at our sweet angel, but with the idea flooding my mind of providing this service for others.
I call this photo “the one that started it all” because it truly is. This image is what changed my mindset from hobby to business, instilling the desire and drive to pursue photography full time.
What I cherish so much about each image from Julia’s first year of life and beyond is why I want to do this. I want to serve families in this way, providing them beautiful and timeless images that their children and grandchildren will pour over one day with joy going down memory lane.