Photography Bio

I was given my first camera.  A red vintage Kodak Mickey Mouse 110 film camera.  I would walk around our yard while the sun gleamed down on the thick green grass and searched for honey bees.  Once I found my subject I would tip toe barefoot through the white clover flowers and surprise the small workers by covering them with a plastic bucket.  Then, I would ready my camera, wrapped tightly around my wrist, place it up to my eye and slowly remove the bucket from over the bee.  I would quickly lower myself as closely as I dared and snap a photograph!  At the age of 5, I created many blurry images of honey bees!

As an young adult, I was given a Canon Rebel film camera.  I resumed the creation of lovely photographs of puffy white clouds and fallen autumn leaves.  My photographic subjects quickly became people and social interactions.  I began working at my first "cookie cutter" studio where I enjoyed photographing smiling round babies and happy hyper toddlers!  Oh, how I enjoyed it!  Over the next several years I chose to work at various commercial portrait studios.

I began working in a studio for families and children, a place where I realized I wanted portrait photography to become my career, not just my job.  While the studio itself offered minimal technical experience, my abilities as a photographer grew by leaps and bounds.  I also found my voice, I learned to interact with customers in a way which became invaluable to my career.  My experiences during this time, plus one kind and considerate manager bringing to my attention the option of photography becoming a career, I continued on my journey as a photographer.

In 2012, I decided to learn proper technical photography techniques in order to give customers the highest quality portraits and images they deserved!  I enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus Indiana where they gave me a NASAD (National Association of Schools of Art and Design) accredited education until 2014 when I earned my AAS in Visual Communications concentrated in Photography, as well as with a certificate in Graphic Design.  The time spent at this two year college taught me a large portion of what I know photographically as well as honed my professional development.

During my time at Ivy Tech I decided my long term goals included becoming an art teacher, and it became necessary to continue my education.  I decided to earn my BFA in Photography at Herron School of Art and Design; where I am in my final few courses, and have become more adept in the fine art genre of photography.

Thanks to the many experiences I've been blessed to participate in, in addition to a lot of time and hard work, I plan on opening my portrait photography business full-time beginning in June 2016!  I work occasionally with a seasoned photographer who is teaching me to take my portrait photography business to the next level!  I am excited to advance my knowledge and photographic ability to bring everyone I photograph a smile, quality of product, great customer service, and photographs they want to look and look at again!