A little about the gal behind the camera...
I am an Eastern Kentucky native transplanted in SouthWest Virginia. No, the mountains aren't very different, but it was definitely a big change when I married my husband, David, and moved here in 2013. New people, new places, new...well pretty much everything. In 2014, I decided to pick up an old hobby. You probably guessed it (wink, wink!). PHOTOGRAPHY!
I had been obsessed as a child with the camera. I had one of those huge, chunky ones that used film. I took it everywhere. My parents bought me a point-and-shoot camera as a teenager. I always had it in someone's face, whether they wanted a photo of them or not! (oops!) I specifically remember spending $40 of my not-so-big piggy bank money on printing random photos of animals when we got home from the zoo. And there were a few candids of my unsuspecting family members as well!
I grew up and went to college, but not after struggling with the idea of pursuing an online course in my favorite hobby or exploring my other passion of teaching. I decided to do both and do the teaching first, and then photography. In my senior year, a semester away from completing my student teaching, I decided to substitute teach. I felt like I had the IDEA of what the classroom was like. I knew the theories and learning styles and the curriculum studies. But I didn't know the field. Subbing in my local school district landed me an amazing opportunity. I gained the position of a Kindergarten teacher aide. If anything shows you the REAL world of teaching, it's energetic 5 year olds! I loved it. But only the children and the teaching part. I saw firsthand what my colleague had to do with on the back side of things. Yikes. It wasn't what I expected. I assumed they had a bigger say in what they taught. Nope.
And then came my love, who swept me off my feet and into Virginia. It was all such a whirlwind. Then I ended up in a new state with all things pretty much foreign. When I picked my hobby back up, I had no idea that it would spark so much more. I got excited. I started studying, practicing, studying some more. I asked some friends and family to let me practice on them. They were kind enough to bear with me in those first few months. And finally, in 2015, I decided it was time to take my little photography wings and fly. I got a website (oh it was quite humble, but it was a start) and told some friends. Gradually the word got out, and I began to meet people in my new home town and beyond, and make new friends through this great photography world. It has led me to new places, new people. And I still get to interact with children, which I absolutely love. I have come quite a long way in these past years, and I'm excited to see what is yet to come and to be learned.
I then decided to take the next step and go full on professional. I graduated from the New York Institute of Photography and received my official certification in 2021.
I'm a mama of a little boy and baby girl, and my appreciation of photography has grown along with my ability to capture images....I realize daily how important it is to document these precious years.
I love my job! I spend hours in the editing process (sometimes I mayyyy forget about dinner and we end up with frozen pizzas!). I want to give the best I have to give.
To schedule or inquire about a session, please click the CONTACT button below. Thank you for being here!
MY CREDENTIALS
