Making the Moment Photography

2012 will be my 5th year and I have been full time for all of it.

Last time I counted, I’m around 60.

Yes Indeed I am! I rarely do anything half way so when I started out, I just jumped it head first.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design and an Associates Degree in Web Design. Although I don’t hold a specific degree in photography, my schooling has helped out tremendously with this line of work. Being intensely driven as an artist and having my style and voice really shaped in school has really been a driving force behind my photography work.

My work has been featured on the Rock N’ Roll Bride blog and in wedding magazines in the past. I’ve also been featured on the Grace Ormonde Platinum list.

I enjoy working with lovely people and creating beautiful things for them. I also really love the rush of shooting weddings. I’m not really an adrenaline junkie at all, but with weddings, it’s just all really exciting to me and I just crave it. In the off season, I get the shakes, haha!

I don’t know about a board game, but I am an aggressive player in the game of spoons. I don’t have a problem taking anyone down, that spoon is mine!

I like to think I’m a little of everything…quirky, fun, high energy but still responsible and professional. I do my best to keep everyone happy and excited but also make sure to keep everyone on schedule. I believe the schedule is such a huge part of the day and having a relaxed day is a giant part of having fun while having your photo taken. Getting your photos taken should be a fun event of the day, not just something to check off the list. I try to send out fun vibes. I tell a lot of stupid jokes and will really do anything to make people laugh.

I would like to be able to heal people. That would be incredible. I think thats way more awesome than being able to fly or have laser beam eyes.

It would be filled with structure! I like my regular life to be planned, scheduled and in order. I feel like that is why I enjoy the chaos of weddings… to balance things out. Ideally, I’d like to get up early (I’m currently not a morning person but trying to convince myself I can be) go work out (I currently don’t exercise but I’m trying to change that) eat a healthy breakfast of fresh food, do my work, hang out with people – perhaps play spoons till someone gets injured, read on the couch with the kitty and then go to bed. Does this make me sound really lame? Yes it does. Do I care about that? No I don’t. I don’t strive to live a really crazy life. I strive to live a life that is healthy and stable. Having those 2 things taken care of gives me the freedom and ability to put a lot of myself into my work. I really love what I do and instead of one really elaborate, fancy, perfect day… I’d rather just have lots of stable, lovely days.

Painters and other types of artists may produce epic work when they are in distress or full of angst but with my line of work, that never produces good things. Living a happy, stable life produces happy, creative, carefree, beautiful work.

NEEDTOBREATHE…Ben Rector…Matthew West

I really love to paint and do crafts. I was a graphic designer before becoming a photographer so I do enjoy taking one some design projects every now and then as well.

A legit white girl afro. I have more thoughtful and deep items on my list, but thats one I’m real excited about currently.

Gosh, thats like asking a mother who is her favorite child. I love them all. All my gear works together with me like it’s a part of me at this point. Working without all of it just doesn’t feel right. I guess if I had to absolutely pick a favorite child and have the rest of them upset with me, I would pick my 14mm lens. I love how shooting wide gives me the ability to capture how great a space is along with capturing the subjects in a cool way. Shooting wide takes a different sort of skill set and I really love the challenge. It is a bit of a specialty lens but it’s become a big part of my style and I think really helps give my full sets of images more variety.

LOL – It’s hard to really answer this without laughing as I get a visual of myself falling, tripping and being injured. So in short, no I do not. Early on in life It became very clear that I would be the artsy type. I do have a pretty competitive drive to me though so it’s a weird mix. I am just missing out on the physical coordination.

Oh yes. First, I am not a crazy cat lady, I promise. It just may look like that, especially if you follow me on instagram. I have a bengal kitty, her name is Duma. She is part wild asian leopard and incredible. Duma has a fiery spirit, can jump about 10 feet in the air, has the most amazing spots like a leopard and loves me like crazy. She is a lot to take care of, but I am just hopelessly her slave for all of time…and thats fine with me. Oh, and for the record if you ask me if I’m a dog person or a cat person, my answer will always be a dog person…. and a Duma person. I do not love all cats like I love my Duma.