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.
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