When I was little, I used to love to observe everything around me.  I especially loved nature and watching people interact with each other.  I used to look at them and wonder what was going on in their lives … what their story was.   I always wished I could capture moments, whether it was the warmth of the sun, the smell of autumn or the way it felt to be outside on a crisp winter day.    I wanted to capture memories and hold them forever.   One year, I got an instamatic camera for my birthday and from the first time I held it, it just felt right.   I loved that camera.  I found such joy in capturing memories of my friends at camp, my cousins jumping on the bed, my family being themselves.

Then, I put down my camera and went to college and to graduate school and to a corporate job.  I became a Mom.  But, eventually, I came back to my camera because the creativity and spark I felt holding my camera was energizing. When we went hiking in the mountains on vacation, I would carry less food so I could fit that 5 lb camera in my rucksack.  My husband knew buying me camera equipment for Christmas was better than any diamond-studded piece of jewelry.

So now I’ve come full circle. It’s me and my camera again. I gave up my corporate job to have my last child.  I went back to college to learn the technology of photography, digital editing and the art of creativity.   I still wonder what people’s stories are.  And lucky me, this career that’s chosen me allows me to capture people’s stories every day and leave them with memories they can hold onto forever.

Here are my big brothers, Jamie and Jeff with me on our mother’s car many moons ago.

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