About Me
When you’re writing these kinds of things, you often ask yourself what it is that other people would want to know about you (within reason, of course.) And it’s truly a challenge to come up with anything of real interest. Especially when you view yourself as any other everyday kind of person.
I was born in New Mexico and grew up in a VERY small (one-horse sort of) town. Ironically, although I knew how beautiful it was, I never really thought of it that way most of the time that I was there. It took moving all the way across the country to a polar opposite climate, both environmentally AND socially, to make me realize just how different and wonderful my “home” state really was.
Florida is a definitely far cry from everything that I knew (or at least thought that I did) for all my childhood and teenage years. Beautiful, but really, really different.
I grew up an intrinsic artist in a family full of amazingly talented people. My mom and dad both – though in completely different ways – are astoundingly intelligent, creative and gifted people. My aunts and uncles almost all either sing, play the guitar, play the piano, or any combination in thereof. Throughout my high school years I also sang, played instruments, was trained in studio and fine arts, and began my fascination with photography.
My brother, sister and I used to adore back issues of National Geographic, and would sit for hours poring through every single issue. Every now and then we’d chuckle (inappropriately) amongst ourselves when we’d come across a spread of naked aboriginal tribesmen and women. What can I say? We were unique in our own right; it was a small town and we found unconventional forms of entertainment for ourselves.
At the age of 15, I began to teach myself the very first versions of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop that came around. Both the internet and computer-based design were relatively new (at least where I was), and not many people knew much about either one. Over the years, I continued to develop my skills with each new edition that arrived on the scene, and eventually I made my way into the web and graphic design industries. I worked in various facets of both arenas for several years, and still do – to some degree – today.
As a teenager, film photography was just beginning to work it’s way to the top of my list of interests. For the longest time, I shot with a little manual minolta camera that someone had given me for Christmas once. It became official then … the spark that set off the explosion, so to speak. My love for photography only continued to grow and manifest itself more and more with the passage of time. In 2006, after my daughter was born, I decided to invest everything I had into an outfit of digital equipment and strike out on my own. Despite the ups and downs, both economically and in terms of workload, I have never regretted the decision for even a single moment.
I love, love, love what I do. And even in a time of severe recession like this, I wonder how many people get to say that. I know that no matter what happens, I will always be a photographer. I think it’s just something that gets inside of you and never goes away. There is always something new and different to appreciate with each and every client, whether it be for a wedding, an engagement session, head shots or family portraits. No two clients are exactly the same, which means that no two sets of images are either.
The most incredible realization that I have come to in all my years of experience is that every session provides a brand new opportunity to create something more beautiful and more unique than the time before. I owe my artistic and professional freedom to my clients, my family and my friends. Without you, I’d probably be stuck in an office job doing run-of-the-mill design work or stock photography somewhere. So here’s to you all, you rock my world!
Peace and Love,
P.S. I promise I’ll get a photo up soon. I need to take something new and different for this one!