Welcome!

Hey! I'm so excited to be starting my photography webpage and blog. I've enjoyed reading blogs, especially photographer's blogs, for years now. Its always exciting to see images from your session featured on a blog! Hopefully my clients will enjoy that as well. This blog will also be a place where I can share upcoming specials, mini sessions, and other pertinent information.

For now, I thought I'd share a little bit more about me. I have been "doing photography" for about 5 years now, though I've had an interest as long as I can remember. When I was young, I had a 110 camera (ya'll remember those things??) that I took everywhere. When disposable cameras where popular, I became obsessed with them. There are envelopes all over my mother's house from cameras I had developed!

When I graduated from college (I have a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science from NC State University), my parents gave me my first "nice" camera. I can't remember what it was now, but it was such an upgrade from the disposables! It didn't have manual mode, but it had several preset modes that I could play with, and a ZOOM lens! Game-changer, haha. I started trying to learn posing and lighting and all the fun stuff that comes with photography. A few years later, I had my first daughter. I hired a photographer to document her first year of life, and I would study everything she did during our sessions. I even took a class with her to learn more about lighting. That was my first clue that this was something I really wanted to get into.

When my daughter was 6 months old, I completed my Master's degree in Business Administration from ECU (quite an accomplishment with a baby, let me tell you!). My graduation gift to myself was a camera upgrade, a Nikon D5100. I was amazed at how much better my images were with that camera compared to my old one! I started taking pictures at family events, including a few weddings, and I used my daughter as a model when I wanted to try something new. I took some online classes to learn how to shoot in Manual mode, and before long that's the only mode I used (now I am horrified that I ever shot in Auto, lol!). I started having a few non-family clients here and there, who actually wanted to pay for my services. I kept learning and trying new things, and my skills improved greatly.

I'm still a long way from where I WANT to be as a photographer, but I believe that learning never stops! I'm constantly studying new techniques. Thankfully, I have found my "style," so its easy to know which type of clients would enjoy working with me - and which types wouldn't! ( ;

Just this year, I purchased another camera upgrade. There are still so many tricks to it that I haven't mastered yet, and I love figuring out all its abilities. I've already seen huge improvement in the quality of my images with it, though.

I don't have a real studio; when I do indoor sessions, I move all the furniture back in my living room and set up backdrops. Its tedious, but it works! As I always tell my clients, ONE DAY I'll have a real studio where things can be set up all the time! That day will have to come sooner than later though, because I keep adding to my collection of backdrops and props! ( ;

I have two daughters now, and they are both well-accustomed to being my models when I get a new backdrop or want to try a new idea. Its still amazing to me that just a few years ago, I only took pictures for family members, and now I work with new people all the time! Many of my clients become my friends, which I love. I am a stay-at-home-mom now, and this gig allows me to be around other people, do something I love, and be able to have a bit of income, while being able to stay home with my children. (I am also a nanny to my nephew, and he's basically my 3rd child!)

In addition to taking care of my girls and my nephew, I am a LuLaRoe retailer and a Mary Kay consultant. What can I say, I like to stay busy! ( :

Working with children is my favorite aspect of photography, which is good because the majority of my clients are kids! I love to meet a newborn and continue to work with him/her throughout that first year. Building those relationships with my clients is so important. And I love the challenge of getting a kid to smile! ( ;

I feel like I'm rambling. I probably won't make a very good blogger, but that's okay. If you're interested in booking a session with me, please contact me and I will be happy to talk to you and set something up!