December 25, 2006 was the day I became a camera owner. I went outside and situated anything I could get my hands on. I place potted plants on old rusted chairs, dressed up my 3-year-old baby sister and made her be my personal model, anything I could capture with my little point and shoot camera. 2 years later, I joined my high school Yearbook team. I remember the day Mrs. Parker placed a Cannon Rebel in my arms and before I knew it I was on my way to Yearbook Camp. I had no clue how this thing worked. I also had no clue that a year later, I would take something that I was basically “forced into” and turn it into something I would LOVE.
I started shooting my friends’ senior pictures when we were getting ready to graduate, which turned into engagement sessions, weddings, birthday parties, family portraits, and new borns. A friend of mine told me “you should do a birth shoot!” and I just thought to myself how personal it was and how grossed out I would be. It wasn’t until March 2, 2012 that I got to experience that moment for myself when my beautiful baby girl was born. That was the very moment that I knew that was where my heart was. It’s such an intimate and perfect moment that you get to experience with your loved ones and have a chance to love another person like you have never loved before. And in a blink of an eye, they’re 4 years old and wanting you to watch The Little Mermaid for the 86th time that week.
I met Cindy when I was about 7 years old and had no idea that we would get to watch each other grow, start a life, and have a family almost 20 years later. The day that her and her husband, Todd had their daughter was one of the most awesome things I got to experience. I got to connect with them on a level that I didn’t know was possible. The smiles, the happy tears, and pure joy that they got to experience was so fulfilling after seeing them struggle to get pregnant with their sweet miracle baby.
That day, is the exact reason I take pictures.
For the memories, for the stories that we will get to tell our grandchildren one day, and for the photos that they get to share with the people they love.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I am in no way a professional. I photograph because it is something I love and am passionate about. I do it for the experience. I’m not as involved as I would like to be, or used to be, but that just makes me thankful that God blessed me with a family and a rambunctious little girl to keep me busy and I wouldn’t change that for anything.
I truly do have the best of both worlds.
COMPANY: HC Photography
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