Sometimes it takes a little push...
My mother is a “picture lady.” I have vivid memories of posing at Holden Beach with the Stevning and Robinette crews, my mother orchestrating the poses - pyramids, laying on boogie boards, Charlie’s Angel style - it was Jason’s favorite part of our trip, right Jas? I have piles of photo albums telling the story of my childhood. I’m so thankful for her dedication to capturing these moments, for forcing us to slow down, and for teaching me about the joy that a picture can bring to others.
The “picture lady” trait is something I definitely inherited. I have always loved taking pictures, making collages, and telling stories. Capturing images of my children and the beauty in nature brings me so much joy, but I never saw myself as a photographer. I never believed I was skilled, talented or had an eye for taking pictures. When the world shut down in the spring of 2020, I became even more focused on the importance of pausing and seeing the good. That same spring my parents gifted me a real camera - a Nikon Z50. I quickly realized that there was so much I could learn, so many things I didn’t know. Almost all teachers are really just eager students, we love to question, explore, and uncover secrets. This is when I became a student of photography.
Trial and error. For the past year, I have grabbed my camera whenever we go for a walk, when the music is blasting after dinner and toys are sprawled everywhere. I will grab my camera when we are in the backyard or when we head to a ballgame. I will grab my camera when I hear laughter or when I see frost on the plants out front. I will grab my camera when the kids have gotten Scarlett wound up, when people are sleepy and snuggly, and when there is a red cardinal perched on a tree branch out back. I’m constantly grabbing my camera and because of that, I’m documenting this life we are building, but I’m also learning about photography. I have yet to take a formal class, read an instruction manual or watch a YouTube tutorial. Self-taught, intrinsically motivated, and blindly passionate - that’s me, the eager student.
Six months into this new hobby and slight obsession my neighbor and dear friend reached out to ask if I would take their family pictures. Well, Georgia didn’t just ask, she insisted. She saw something in me, something that I didn’t see in myself. She shook me out of my haze of fun to set me on a path of clarity and purpose. She helped me to see that I might indeed be a photographer.
A few months later, a former co-worker of my husband reached out, inquiring if I would take their family photos. I was so nervous driving to one of my favorite nature preserves near us, Deer Haven, to meet the Wiswell Family. Nervous because what if I didn’t get a good shot, what if they weren’t impressed or even satisfied with the end product, what if I really don’t know what I’m doing. Nervous because I was being extremely vulnerable. One of my favorite authors and researchers Brene Brown is quoted saying, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” This push, this leap of faith, this moment of vulnerability, was a spark for future dreams and plans.
Honestly though, life moved forward as it normally does, so I kept picking up my camera when it felt right, but I also kept doing what I always do. I didn’t take any serious steps forward with growing as a photographer until I was pushed once again. I vividly remember, it was the Fourth of July, a bunch of neighborhood ladies were gathered on the Webster’s back patio, kids were running wild, husbands were chatting up front in the driveway. I’m not the best in these type of larger crowd social settings, I’m more introverted than most realize and so I try to fade into the background, but Katie pulled me from my hiding place to shine a light on this spark in my heart. She threw an idea out into the universe - Fall Mini Photography Sessions just for the neighborhood along our beautiful back path. Ladies chimed in with their interests, others praised the pictures I post on social media, I felt myself lift and excitement rise at the possibility of taking my passion project and having it impact others in a more formal and traditional way.
When the fall arrived and colors on the trees started to change I was reminded of this request. I made a promise to myself while sitting on Katie’s back porch in July, to not let this moment just slip by, to not brush it under the rug as nothing, this was an opportunity that I needed to run with, this was the push I was waiting for. So I did it! I put a sign-up together, posted it for my neighbors and the slots filled up quickly! It was successful, a beautiful success. I was able to capture sweet moments of my fellow neighbors. Close to 20 families willingly trusted me and it brought me so much joy.
The Fall Mini Sessions allowed me to meet neighbors that I had yet to connect with, while enjoying the company of those that I call friends. A few sessions opened up further opportunities for pictures, this is when the spark within me really grew and the eagerness to move forward with this passion in a more structured and formal way was born. One family reached out following our session to see if I could capture images of their daughter, Morgan, a senior at Liberty High School. I was overjoyed and honored. We ventured to Heritage Park in Westerville and had just the best time. This park offers so many different vantage points and Morgan was all smiles. It made my heart happy, knowing I could do something for this sweet family, that would encapsulate such a special moment - her senior year.
That wasn’t the end of the continued interest. From October through December I snuck away on a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon to snap pictures for families. Some of my favorites were the extended families that I had the opportunity to meet and the keepsakes I was creating for them; the Websters and their grandchildren, the Gestosani Crew and their surprise Christmas gift. A few other moments during late Fall that were special to me was documenting a growing family and a moment to pause and gift my own parents with some beautiful pictures as they embark on a new stage of life. These sessions filled my cup and reenergized my drive to make this more than just a casual hobby and pastime.
And just like all of the other opportunities that have presented themselves, it started with a push, because I lacked the confidence in myself to think that I really had the skill set to be a true photographer. The moms on Parker’s baseball team, quickly decided that even though my life was busy enough already - raising five babies and being a teacher - they had the perfect side gig for me, sports photographer. While at the baseball field or during a soccer game, I have my camera, because I always have my camera, and I got in the habit of texting pictures to other families when I would get a good shot of their son or daughter. The responses from these families always filled me with such pride and joy. “These pictures are amazing!” “Oh my goodness, are you serious?!?! I can’t even believe how good these are!” So while I was busy refining my skills, I was also building a community of supporters. I remember vividly one fellow mother telling me this past summer, that this right here is a unique service I could offer this community, going to games and taking pictures for families, it is not something that is advertised around here, and what an opportunity to create keepsakes for others.
So, I’ve once again made myself a promise, to not let this just fade away, to not let this passion and fire inside of me dwindle because it just can’t happen, or the timing isn’t right. I can do this, I am a photographer! Photography has ignited a spark in me, the genuine and enthusiastic passion to learn. I want to be better and I want to grow. These moments where I was pushed by others has been for a reason and now I need to continue this momentum, continue to shine, and continue to find ways to fill my cup. Maybe I’m more than just a mom and a teacher, maybe I am a photographer, maybe this can pave a new fresh path forward.
This is my goal: By the end of 2022, I will have set up a legitimate business and have established myself, even if it’s in a small way, as a photographer. Now for a business name! Ideas?
