Before saying "yes" to a photographer, it's important to feel like you can be yourself, to have a mutual connection and trust.
Because of this, picking a photographer can be daunting. And I get it! As a new wedding photographer in Southwest Florida, I want to show up and be real about who I am and my interests. So, I've created a list of "must knows" about me. Read to the end and let me know if anything resonates with you ✨
Connor(my sweet husband) and I will be together for a decade in February! It all started when he asked me to be his Valentine. I’ve always hated the holiday. I've never been a fan of unnecessary expensive gifts, cheap, mass-produced products, and cheesy pink and red hearts that fill every store. However, I didn’t hate his interest in me. Actually, I was a little smitten with him by then. I said “yes”, and we’ve never looked back. ❤️
When I went to my first college film class at NWCC, I wasn’t sure what I'd learn from it. In fact, when I realized I wouldn’t be starting with digital photography, I was mad! I thought film was a waste of time/money in the digital age. Boy was I wrong. Film has been foundational for me when it comes to style, composition, editing and more. I loved every second of it, and I still use film today.
At 16 I got a job at my local winery opening bottles and suggesting wines I had never tasted. I worked at Home Depot during the pandemic dealing with stressed out and frustrated customers. Since age 17 I've worked for 5 different photographers second shooting countless of weddings. Every job has required a lot stamina, thinking on my feet, and providing excellent service no mater the situation. Serving people is what I was born to do.
My college is the best for offering American Sign Language classes. I was around many hearing impaired students and I quickly became frustrated that it was hard to communicate. ASL wasn’t a required corse for me, but I signed up for a class. Do I know much sign because of it? No. Do I get nervous and forget everything I learned when trying to sign? Yup. But I loved getting to be apart of a thriving community that was so welcoming (and may I say talkative)! Other than film, ASL was my favorite subject. I hope to one day to continue with sign language to connect better with more people . 🤟🏼
Besides photography, music gives me all the feels. I get chills when a song connects with me. I always hear the music playing in restaurants. I love learning about new artists/songs, or finding old songs I somehow missed. My life is better with people like Sam Smith, Stevie Wonder, and Nina Simone in the mix - but Abba is my favorite band of all time. I’m open to any genre, but recently I’ve been into indie-folk, pop-rock, and EDM.
Remember when I said I didn't know how film would help me in my photography career? Turns out it already had. One Thanksgiving my father brought out his projector and showed us slides he and my mother shoot in the 80’s. I was blown away by the composition, colors, and timelessness of the photos. I promptly developed the slides into digital files so I could have them forever. To this day these images are a source of inspiration for me.
Traveling seemed almost impossible during 2020, so getting to experience International travel twice in 2021 was extra meaningful. I sadly went to South Africa for my brother-in-law's unexpected funeral. The experience and beauty there helped remind me to appreciate what I have, especially the people in my life. I was fortunate enough to go to Rhodes, Greece with some of my loved ones and experience a different way of life and a new culture. I'll be sure to share about these trips more in a future post. ⛰
I love water so much I bought an underwater film camera. No I’m not kidding! I used my Nikonos V for the first time in Greece, and I came back with a few images I'm proud of. I have a lot to learn still, but I'm looking forward to the journey ahead. 🌊
I hope that gives you a deeper sense in to who I am. There's so many stories I have to yet share with you, but those stories are for another day.
