Coming Full Circle...

"You may not know where you are going, but you will end up where you are supposed to be." This is what my mother used to say to me growing up.

Often I felt lost, confused, and turned around as a teenager or young adult. I did not feel like I fit in and it was even harder for anyone to understand where I was coming from most of the time. I was not an outcast or a black sheep really, instead I was on my own, but not a loner either. Everyone knew who I was or had heard of me, but I was not defined by a "click" or stereotype.

Although I seemed to lack a label or reputation I didn't mind most of the time. I was a child who preferred to be myself and whatever came with that. My parents really did a great job enriching me with certain qualities as an individual that I used to roll my eyes at in the past. I have known their influence for a long time and acknowledge those understandings with them on a regular basis.

At one point I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I knew that there were a lot of things that I would enjoy or be good at, but only one occupation would allow me to put all my interests into one job. If you don't know by now that I am a photographer then this is it. Now you or anyone can know that I am a photographer and why I became one.

Considering that I graduated college in 2006 I consider myself a professional from that point on, although I did at least four years of professional shooting before that. Really I'd say I've been doing professional photography for eight years. How I came to understand the business is a true tale of growth and patience.

I started shooting photography as a child, for fun. My father was the first person to mention that photography might be a good path for me to take. When my father made the suggestion I was only 10 or 11 years old. I wasn't sure and didn't know what to make of the idea.

In high school my best friend, Beth, took a photography class. I remember her excitement for the course and after I saw her archive from the first couple of months I knew it was a class I was going to take too. My next birthday my mother and I split the cost of my first camera, the Canon TX.

My first photography teacher was Mrs. Waldschmit, Mrs. W. Mrs. W started each of her students out on the right page, the traditional page, shooting all manual before she would even entertain the idea of digital. I will forever be grateful for her approach to teaching. We all learned basic photography but with college level expectations. There were weekly critiques and constant conversations about each element to photography. She was hard on each of us, but I remember really almost hating her from time to time. Mrs. W and I still talk from time to time and I'll cherish her friendship forever.

When I was accepted into Art School everyone was a bit surprised. No one doubted my abilities rather the choice of Art School over a regular or local university. Through the next four years I had many professors and fellow students that each played a roll in shaping my artistic style, knowledge, and passion. Art school ended though, just as all things eventually do and I was thrown out into the abyss of society. Managing to float I acquired jobs that had nothing to do with art or photography.

Underwater photography was my passion and it was all I ever really wanted to do. So eventually I started to work for underwater photographers as an assistant and tried to merge all of my ventures aside photography. I really didn't know where I'd be going with any of it, but I was always facing forward.

A lot of time has past and I now live in Vegas working for two photography companies both shooting and editing for them and yet I'm holding a 9-5 in retail during the week. Coming full circle I am clear of mind when I discuss my desires and drive for photography, but life has ultimate control of my direction. When I think it's going in one direction I take a job to make rent and all of a sudden it takes me in a completely different direction.

This strange, awkward, woman is still a reflection of the student from years past. Truthfully always a student. I'm pretty good with driving, but when it comes to life sometimes I'm directionally challenged but I'll always end up where I'm supposed to be.