My "Why"

I just want to take some time today and tell you a little about my story of how I got started in photography. I call this my "Why".

My story starts out in a small border town of northern Minnesota called International Falls. My mom and step-dad owned a four seasons resort called Sandy Point Lodge. Located on a peninsula and surrounded by lake and wildlife, it was gorgeous. I'd wake in the morning to the musical call of a loon gliding on the lake at sunrise and although it was beautiful, it was equally adventurous. Bears roaming onto our property at night breaking into cabins while looking for food, watching wolves cross the frozen lake during a light snowfall and even being chased by bears (true story that happened to me) we definitely had our fill of adventure and surprises.

My life adventure was about to begin.

One April day in 1996 our family home burned to the ground. I was 12.  When I got off the bus that night the only material possessions I had left were the clothes on my back and a bag full of school-books. It was cold with the lake still frozen over. The fire station was 30 minutes from our resort and they were low on water. The one thing that I vividly remember my mom saying after the fire was that all the photographs are gone. For whatever reason, that is what has been ingrained in my brain every time I think of the fire. All that remains today are a few charred photos that my mom kept to remember that day.

My mom's wedding dress, dresses I wore as a little girl, heirlooms from my ancestors, and the photographs that tell our family's story are things that I would've loved to pass on to my daughters. They were all gone in a matter of minutes.

As the reality of what I lost set in, I began to understand the importance of preserving history. Thus, a growing love of capturing the memories through photography.

The albums and heirlooms that my family lost are part of what drives my pursuit of photography with excellence. I love getting lost behind the lens and catching a glimpse into the lives I photograph.

Although I was 12 when the house fire happened it wouldn't be until I was 17 when my interest in photography truly started to grow: that was in 2002. I bought my first digital camera (I had one film camera prior to owning a digital); a Sony Cyber-Shot camera for around $300 at the local Walmart and let me tell you, I was so excited to own this little (compact) camera. I remember it had a whopping 4.0 mega pixels and 3x zoom. I don't think I had any idea what that meant at the time, but I didn't care. I was going to learn and do my best with what I had.

I took picture after picture of my siblings, I made them pose in the hot southern summer heat and in the cold east coast winters with lots of snow. After a few months of taking photos, I entered a few in some local photography competitions and started winning awards. That blew my mind. I had actually placed 1st and 3rd in two different photography competitions! My confidence soared to new heights.

Fast forward, a little, and after attending a conference 2 hours from my house, I lose my precious camera. I was so disappointed. No one turned it into lost and found I just hope someone found it and made good use of it.

After losing my camera, I soon forgot about my budding photography career. It wasn't until after I was married and pregnant with my first child, that I decided to buy a DSLR camera. Then the memory and passion started to creep back into my life. I started to take photos of my daughter and then families that I knew and who wanted to support my endeavor. Little by little, I started to understand and develop my style and brand. Film is what I love because even before my first digital camera, I owned a film camera. The look is classic and it won't ever go out of style. My hope is to one day shoot mostly with film and have my own dark room. 

Looking back, I thank God for that fire because that was the end that is the foundation for my beginning. 

I wouldn't change anything.