While my hottie hubby Stephen actually went to photography school, I actually got my start IN front of the camera.
I don’t quite count the time my mom put me in modeling school when in middle school, but it all came back around in my mid twenties. At the time I was in that mid twenties crisis trying to figure out who I was and what my purpose was in the world. I was in the midst of doing freelance graphic design while in the other boat shooting wedding videography. Through videography I met some really cool photographers, and one of them asked me to come model for a photographers get together down in Orlando. I thought, sure, why not, I could tap into my middle school model days. What girl wouldn’t like some glam photos of themself?
What ended up happening instead was… after seeing how cool their photos turned out and all the amazing things they did with light at a night shoot, something about photography intrigued me and I wanted to learn how they were able to take those cool shots.
So it began… the obsession. After begging my parents for Christmas that all I wanted was a “real” camera, and scouring the Internet for anything I could find about how to learn photography, click by click, shoot by shoot, wedding by wedding, year by year… somehow I became a photographer.
Now 5 years later, I had the opportunity again to get in front of the camera for one of the most award winning, yet most humble and gracious, photographers in the industry, the Edmonsons, and model for a workshop they were doing in town. I thought back to that place when I stood in front of a paparazzi of cameras, scared and nervous that there were THAT many cameras pointed at me, yet trying to pretend like I knew what I was doing… I thought back to when I stood there thinking and wondering what my future would hold and what plans and places God had in store for me. But with this new shoot, I stood there thinking, wow, a lot has happened in 5 years. I would have never guessed that in that time I would actually go on to be a photographer, travel the world, lose a parent, buy a house, get my dream car, get married, and stand here again in front of a group of photographers, still completely nervous all over again.
Though my life has turned out absolutely nothing like I imagined it would, both good and bad, I have learned through it all, that it truly IS about the journey, not the destination. I have learned that things can come back full circle both having learned a lot, and still feeling clueless all at the same time. I have learned that the greatest lessons in life come from walking through fear and realizing it wasn’t so scary afterall. I have learned, with God, all things ARE possible if we give Him the room to exceed our expections.
Here’s a few fun photos that David and Luke shot of me in their workshop. This was my bridal shower dress, and it was fun to get a chance to rewear it, despite feeling like half a cupcake, half a flamingo. Either way, it was pink and I loved it! :-)
DRESS/SHOES: Betsey Johnson COAT: Forever 21
