tales of an atlanta family photographer: how I stumbled into business
My love for the camera started in middle school via selfies with friends, artsy backyard landscapes and glam shots of my dog. After my parents gifted me my first “real” camera junior year of high school, I quickly became the queen of candids with friends and official sports photographer for my brothers. Okay and maybe more dog glam shots…
I’ve lived multiple lives since then as a nurse, a marketer and kicking off my own marketing consulting business (you can hire me for that here!). One thing that has remained constant is my love for having a camera in hand.
My trusty Nikon D7100 went everywhere with me over the last 10 years. No, really—it’s been to Ireland, London, Paris, Amsterdam, everywhere along the California coast and more. I’ve taken pictures for fun at company events, for my roommates blog, friend bachelorette parties and on my own travels.
Stumbling Into Becoming an Atlanta Family Photographer
My decision to turn this long-standing hobby into something I could offer other families wasn’t some lightbulb moment, but a slow progression as I ventured into becoming a mother and my camera took on a new responsibility.
Over the first few months with my daughter, Lilly, I realized two things that I am sure crosses every other mother’s mind as well:
- Time moves so fast with your littles and they change DAILY
- I never want to forget the details of these moments
As my love for my daughter grew and those special moments multiplied, so did my camera roll—by nearly 5,000 pictures to be exact. While my iPhone was a great stand-in when I needed it, I found myself reaching for my “big” camera more and more to get the quality images I wanted. (Pssst… Read about what camera equipment I recommend for moms!)
Over time, I realized just how much fun I was having framing shots of her on the couch and making crazy sounds to get genuine smiles and funny faces. I became my family’s personal paparazzi leaving no moment undocumented. The bonus? It was the creative outlet I needed to get through the fog of becoming a mother and feel more like myself again.
Soon enough my friends started to ask who was taking these pictures and when I raised my hand I also offered to help them document their own milestones. Hannah and Eric were my very first “clients” and I’m so grateful to them because the high after that session confirmed that I didn’t just enjoy photography when the subjects were my own family.
Fast forward to today, I’ve upgraded my camera (hellooooo mirrorless!) and built a passion-based business photographing families in Northeast Georgia. I am honored to have people like you visiting my little corner of the internet to read about how I started.
If you’re here because you find yourself in a season like what I described above, I hope this encourages you to continue following the path wherever it may lead!
If you’re here because you’re considering hiring me as your photographer, I hope to meet you and your loved ones soon! If you think we might be a fit, simply send me a note 🙂
I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some of the original photos mentioned above… So, please enjoy this blast from the past.
