My story and finding your “why” {Delight & Be Savvy}

I’ve had this post in my drafts for awhile, and I hope I don’t sound like a broken record, I just feel led to share with you more of my reasoning of being a photographer before we get into a full year of tutorials and such! After thinking things through, I  thought I would start with my story and my “why” because I truly believe your photography will drastically improve when you find your “why”. Discovering this will help you more than any tutorial, program or product. Even if you aren’t using photography as a business.  Your “why” is your purpose, your drive, your passion. It’s what you think of when someone asks you that million dollar question “How did you get into photography?”  or “Why photography?”

I used to just answer that question “Eh, I’ve always loved it!” Hoping that would satisfy whoever was asking. And although thats true, and I would say that so freely because I didnt know my purpose yet. I was truly unsure and hoped my vague answers could cover up my unknowns. I had to ask myself a lot of questions one day, but they were never clear answers. I mean, I just liked making pretty pictures and other than that I just new I LOVED expressing myself through a camera. But why wasn’t that good enough? I was searching for the words for what I was feeling. It wasn’t until I started meeting people through my business that I realized just WHY I do this.I remember one day after a session I had a mom call me and said “We’ve had a really hard month, we haven’t been able to just be together in a long time. Ive been so tired but Im SO glad we did this, thank you for making that such an ease, I feel like I have a new found love and passion for my husband and kids again”

That was it. Right there, it hit me like a ton of bricks, I had so many feelings.

I realized I was getting myself into something bigger than I am.  I love people, I love how everyone is so different, and seeing the things that all humans have in common is what makes them passionate makes them who they are. Thats kind of a dichotomy, The same thing that makes us all different is the same thing. Our passions and interests.  I get to photograph people with their families, people in their favorite cities, with their hobbies, with the love of their lives, or in an exciting time, like graduating or expecting a baby. All of those things kind of just connected for me, and thats passion, and preserving that passion. For me and for others.  Hear me, never let your passion die, don’t let it fade, don’t let it get cold. Keep it burning. There is nothing like meeting someone who is just passionate about something. Have you ever met someone that just seems to be stoked on life in general? Everything is exciting to them, and they seem to make you really excited to just by how they talk to you with such optimism, They’re always smiling, there is that twinkle in their eye, a skip in their step. I want to keep that alive for people. If I can capture that in a photo, and know that maybe someday they can look back on it  if they ever forget that and remember their “why”. Boy, If I can just do that for one person, I’ve made it, no need to be rich in famous.

One day I was thinking back to one of my most favorite memories as a kid growing up . It was pulling out my moms big box of family photos, seeing me and my siblings growing up, mostly from blurry disposable camera 4×6’s that will always be dear to my heart. I love the family portraits together that capture exactly how we were at that time, missing teeth, awkward staged middle schoolers, maybe a bad haircut here and there. It was us, it was bits and pieces of what made us who we are today. Because of photos I got to see my parents growing up, I got to see them fall in love and start a family, our family. I distinctively remember looking at pictures at my grandparents house, some in drawers or what was hung on the walls, seeing my ancestors in some of the most important times in my family’s history. Weddings, graduations, birthdays or just the little moments in between. Everyone so alive, laughing, holding each other, Even though most of the time it was a faded black and white image, I couldn’t help but feel just a little more connected to my family. That’s when I realized just how important one image can be. It can bring back so many memories, feelings emotions, or inspire you to create new ones.

I hope to always have my passion for passion, and an inspiration for encouraging other to find that in themselves too.

Do some soul searching, Maybe your “why” is to give people hope, or to give them some truths as to who they are, maybe you just want to bless peoples socks off!

I’ll leave you with this, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ” Matthew &:7-8 NIV

Remember to ask the Lord when you’re looking for answers, He is so faithful to us.