What inspires you?

I get asked a lot how I got started in photography and the answer is pretty simple, it fell in my lap. I didn't go looking for it. I never even had the tiniest thought in the far reaches of my brain that I might want to do anything even remotely related to photography. Heck I didn't even own a camera other than a Polaroid when I was young (what happened to that thing?) or the disposable brand I'd buy if I was going on a trip or had something I wanted to photograph. We actually didn't buy our first official camera (point and shoot) until I was pregnant with my first daughter. Up to that point a camera was just something you used to preserve memories, pictures were just something you took. None of it held any meaning to me. Even when I was first pregnant I was just taking pictures to take them. You know, because your kids will want to look back on them when they get older, right? I remember though that this was when I started becoming obsessed. It started with pregnancy milestones, I'd take pictures to mark each week. Then the baby came and I couldn't put the camera down. We still had our point and shoot, but I was taking pictures of her like they were going out of style. Digital was FUN. You could snap, snap, snap away. I took thousands of pictures. I labeled myself the "paparazzi" and everyone joked the same. But I was captivated. I was in love. I had never seen anything so little and perfect and I wanted to remember every single detail of her. Still, did I think anything about photography? No. I just loved taking pictures of her. There was no skill involved in these pictures. Trust me. I didn't put any thought into setting up a photo. Lighting, composition, background, whether it was even focused or not, what was that? I got blurry photos, photos with demon eyes, and I didn't even know what photoshop was! I just wanted pictures and she was so cute that none of the specifics mattered.

I don't really know the point that it all changed. I credit it to my husband, he bought me my camera after all. I was newly pregnant with my second daughter and it was an anniversary/birthday present. He woke me up one morning snapping pictures of my daughter with this monstrous thing. First thought "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" It looked expensive and I was not happy. But over the next few days, weeks, I fell in love again. This time with a camera. The photos it took straight out of the camera were amazing. Just the quality. The speed. It practically did everything for you. I thought i was obsessed before, but with my new camera I took that obsession to a whole new level. I never put it down. I snapped pictures of EVERYTHING and everyone. And this is the point where I don't really know the moment when it changed. It was a natural shift, a natural progression. I didn't make the decision to do anything differently. At some point I just started...caring? I started seeing "kodak moments" everywhere I went. I started putting actual thought into my shots instead of just snapping away. People started to compliment my photos and that felt really good. And you know the saying "practice makes perfect" ? I guess it holds true. I never put my camera down and I learned as I went. I finally discovered Photoshop and I need it like I need air to breathe. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but..Photoshop is awesome! Thank you Mr. Inventor! I have never once picked up my instruction manual, I keep meaning to. But everything I've learned i've figured out along the way. Trial and error. I haven't read books, or taken classes and I do not have any formal education (yet). My inspiration is my children. And I draw inspiration from other photographers whose work I love and admire. I just love my camera, I love my subjects and I love what I do.

I really can only thank God, it is he who gave me the talent because there's no way I figured this out on my own. I am creative, have always been creative in other ways, but this was taking it to a whole new level I never even imagined I'd get too. I would have been, and still would be, completely happy if I only was ever able to photograph my children for the rest of their lives. But God gave me this talent, he revealed it to me when I least expected it and now I pray that he will give me the opportunity to use it because I'm sure that was his plan after all. I have a lonnnnggg way to go, I'm just getting started out, and I have so much more I want and need to learn. I thank ALL of you who have given me a chance to photograph you, for all of you who support me and compliment me on my work and I wouldn't be where I am if it weren't for every single one of you. You allow me to do what I love to do and I am grateful for that!