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Why I Chose Photography

My previous employer once said in a meeting that in order to sell our product we really had to work for it.  The need to seek out professional photographers was declining in most markets because more people own cameras now than have EVER before.  

I don't do photography merely because I like it.  Photography is my passion.  It is what motivates me and brings joy in to my life.  (Of course my family brings joy to my life too)

I thought, as a young child all the way until I was a young adult, that I couldn't be happier being a lawyer.  After a year in a law firm working as a legal secretary I came to the harsh realization that I HATE law.  Not saying I couldn't be a lawyer or even remain a legal secretary but it was draining everything positive from me.  (Thank you my lovely catty co-workers for helping me realize this!)  When I walked down the halls and in to the different conference rooms I was drawn to the photography hanging on the walls.  All work by Mike Sanford- the brother of a senior attorney for the firm.  When I could not stand to be there another day I quit.  When I made it home after this rather abrupt decision my parents were pretty shocked by my plan.  I proclaimed that I would be a photographer and the rest of my life I would be happy.  I wouldn't work another day in my life.

I have had my own camera since I was at least ten years old.  I remember snapping pictures with the cheap piece of plastic that took 110 film at school.  Some of the kids (Sean and Jennifer) probably wished I would have given it up then.  At that time all of my photographic manipulations were done with skillful shots, a razor blade, glue and a copier.  Yes, very low tech and still off the mark but looking back it was pretty remarkable for a 10 year old.  I continued with the razor blades and glue in to my teens (which lead to lovely little mash ups with boy band members!) and then finally settled on PhotoShop around the time my family provided me with my first digital camera.  By the time I quit from the law firm I was already taking photography classes and I had spent a large chunk of my senior year in high school alone in the dark room.

Around the time my Dad got sick I lost passion for everything.  I worked in retail and as a notary and hardly photographed anything.  Soon after returning to the area I started working for a company designing a resource directory.  I collected data, entered and edited the data and formatted the book but the part I enjoyed the most was designing the cover- which included my photography.  I started taking classes again and continued to until I moved away.  Soon after that I was hired by a studio to do senior portraits.  After my first senior season I moved throughout the company learning as much as I possibly could.  The next year I went on the road and did on location senior portraits which are MUCH harder than having a lovely studio to work in and props at your disposal.  I give props to all of my former co-workers that are still out there toughing it out!  I miss you all!!  I spent a few years with the company working in most of their different fields of photography.

Now here I am... Jacksonville, NC.  The college here doesn't offer photography class and I gleaned nothing from the continuing education class that was offered.  I have decided to venture out on my own after being here for a year.  Let's see how this goes!!

Professional Photography Rant

I stopped my Why Photography post at a good place to pick this rant up.  If you are easily offended I would suggest you not read this- that is my warning.

I was very disheartened when I moved to Jacksonville.  When I learned that I could not feasibly transfer to a different territory of the company I worked for in California I sought out studios in the area.  What I realized very quickly by viewing the different photography websites is that the level of quality in the area is very low.  I do have to give credit where it is due though- there were a few local photographers that DID really impress me.  

These are some quotes I have seen...

"natural light is my specialty"   "I follow the light" and so on and so on.... Of course you follow the light- to a point.  Without light there is no photograph.  After all photography is capturing the light on either a film plane or a digital sensor.  I am also not saying you cannot achieve studio quality portraits outdoors.  One of my very favorite photographers did just this- but he was also a nature photographer.  :)  

What Professional Photography ISN'T

Just because you went out and bought yourself a nice pretty (and probably expensive) camera it does NOT make you a professional photographer.  So you read Photography for Dummies.  Okay dummy you are not a professional photographer.  Yes, you might take some very endearing photos of your kids- this does NOT make you a professional photographer.  

Hello, yes you with your new camera and your oodles of time and a hobby you have no professed is your profession.  Yes, you.  LOL!

Photography is an art.  

"Having an eye" for it isn't a myth.  It is the truth.  Capturing a photo and not having to manipulate it is actually DO-ABLE!!  I have worked with some very amazing photographers so I am not tooting my own horn when I say it can be done.  [Greg, Brad, Sarah, Sam, Taryn (even though you were mean), Catherine, Angela, Renee, Devin, and yes even you Trish are all wonderful photographers and I learned a ton from you- and countless others I didn't name]  

Beyond just capturing an image photography has a history.  A very beautiful past actually.  Before the days of digital there was film.  Oh!  What a joy film was.  To hold a canister in your hand and know your latent images were on it is very powerful.  Digital has removed this joy.  I cannot put to words just how amazing it is to develop your first roll.  Then your second, third, and on and on.  It never stops being amazing.  When you pull a roll of film out of the rinse and you see those images for the first time nothing compares.  (YES!  I have a child, and NO birth doesn't compare.  Reality check for those of you- giving birth is amazing.  Don't get me wrong.  BUT It hurts, it leaves you a mess, you are tired and sore afterward and after it is over you don't want it to happen again in a few minutes).  Making prints is the same way.  You sit at your enlarger and fiddle with settings, burn, dodge, tweek your time, adjust this and that and you proudly make your way to the developer with a blank sheet of paper.  You hold your breath and slip it in to the idle waters of the developing bath and within seconds as you agitate the image starts to appear under those amber lights.  The butterflies hit you and you take a deep breath taking in the smells of the dark room and hoping that the image will be prefect as you watch the hand on the clock count down.  A few more minutes and you can bring your creation out in to the light and see exactly what you have made.  It is perfect up until that point and then if it isn't you simply adjust the contrast, time, or decide where to dodge, burn, etc. and head back in the dark room to try again.  You know you aren't a magician but for those first few seconds you feel like you control it all and then you grab the tongs and move your paper to the next tray.  

OK OK I know I romanticize it probably more than I should.  It's my passion what can I say??

I love black and white.  I love the feel of soggy fiber based paper.  I feel like a mother once I put my sheets of paper in with others being over protective of my creation.  Heaven forbid someone tong my photograph and make a mark on my lovely fiber based paper!  

With fiber based paper also comes the wide spectrum of things you can do to it!!!  You can bleach it and tone it, you can color it, you can iron it :) and to hurry to check the depth of your tonal range you can microwave it.  (NEVER microwave RC paper! I should have warned my classmates that monkey see monkey do will result in their photographs being melted)  I have toned photographs and I have hand colored photographs.  I took a class for hand coloring and at first I scoffed at the idea since I already had so much experience doing it with PS.  That is when I fell in love with my oils and my pencils.  I love spending hours on getting the colors just right.  It takes a lot more talent to sit with your oil, paints, rolled cotton and toothpicks than it does to do it on PS.  

So, to wrap things up-- having photography as a hobby is a GREAT thing.  Telling people you are a PROFESSIONAL photographer without having any REAL experience makes you an idiot.  Stop putting your pictures up every where claiming you are a professional and charging people ridiculous prices because you decided you are bored so you are now a "professional" photographer.  Hello- just make it easy on yourself- proclaim yourself as an amateur photographer and we can all get along!!

Why I Chose Photography

My previous employer once said in a meeting that in order to sell our product we really had to work for it.  The need to seek out professional photographers was declining in most markets because more people own cameras now than have EVER before.  

I don't do photography merely because I like it.  Photography is my passion.  It is what motivates me and brings joy in to my life.  (Of course my family brings joy to my life too)

I thought, as a young child all the way until I was a young adult, that I couldn't be happier being a lawyer.  After a year in a law firm working as a legal secretary I came to the harsh realization that I HATE law.  Not saying I couldn't be a lawyer or even remain a legal secretary but it was draining everything positive from me.  (Thank you my lovely catty co-workers for helping me realize this!)  When I walked down the halls and in to the different conference rooms I was drawn to the photography hanging on the walls.  All work by Mike Sanford- the brother of a senior attorney for the firm.  When I could not stand to be there another day I quit.  When I made it home after this rather abrupt decision my parents were pretty shocked by my plan.  I proclaimed that I would be a photographer and the rest of my life I would be happy.  I wouldn't work another day in my life.

I have had my own camera since I was at least ten years old.  I remember snapping pictures with the cheap piece of plastic that took 110 film at school.  Some of the kids (Sean and Jennifer) probably wished I would have given it up then.  At that time all of my photographic manipulations were done with skillful shots, a razor blade, glue and a copier.  Yes, very low tech and still off the mark but looking back it was pretty remarkable for a 10 year old.  I continued with the razor blades and glue in to my teens (which lead to lovely little mash ups with boy band members!) and then finally settled on PhotoShop around the time my family provided me with my first digital camera.  By the time I quit from the law firm I was already taking photography classes and I had spent a large chunk of my senior year in high school alone in the dark room.

Around the time my Dad got sick I lost passion for everything.  I worked in retail and as a notary and hardly photographed anything.  Soon after returning to the area I started working for a company designing a resource directory.  I collected data, entered and edited the data and formatted the book but the part I enjoyed the most was designing the cover- which included my photography.  I started taking classes again and continued to until I moved away.  Soon after that I was hired by a studio to do senior portraits.  After my first senior season I moved throughout the company learning as much as I possibly could.  The next year I went on the road and did on location senior portraits which are MUCH harder than having a lovely studio to work in and props at your disposal.  I give props to all of my former co-workers that are still out there toughing it out!  I miss you all!!  I spent a few years with the company working in most of their different fields of photography.

Now here I am... Jacksonville, NC.  The college here doesn't offer photography class and I gleaned nothing from the continuing education class that was offered.  I have decided to venture out on my own after being here for a year.  Let's see how this goes!!

Scottlet

My little Scottlet's most recent picture set. I love my little baby.  I can't wait for him to sit up on his own so we can re-do this set.  I love the bath and rubber ducky idea but I am a little ahead of schedule. 

Wow I'm Trendy... I guess :)

So I started a blog.  I thought this would be a good idea as a way to keep track of things I am doing, how my business is going and how my little Sonny is doing.  So please keep posted for updates.  I will be adding special discount for photography sessions embedded in my postings on here too! 


James and I are headed back to North Carolina in less than 24 hours.  I have a ton to do and we still have like three months until our Lovey comes home but we will make the best of it.  I am looking forward to meeting all the ladies that I have become friends with!!!