05/23/2026
Ten years ago, my husband gave me the camera I had always wanted.
And then I returned it.
We were young, money was tight, and I felt guilty having something that expensive just for me. For years, I kicked myself for that decision. I wondered where Iād be if I had just kept it. If I had started then instead of waiting.
Wellā¦ I guess Iām finding out now.
Iāve loved photography since I was a kid. I was the one constantly shoving disposable cameras in my sisterās face, completely obsessed with capturing everything and everyone around me. Photos have always meant something huge to me. They freeze people and moments exactly as they are, before life changes them.
In July 2025, I finally bought myself a camera. A Canon T7. My plan was simple: take my time, learn slowly, and finally have something that was just mine. I had a full-time job, there was no pressure, and photography was going to be my creative outlet.
Then, one month later, I got laid off.
Almost at the same time, my husbandās job transition completely fell through too. Suddenly both of us were unemployed, stressed, scared, and trying to figure out what came next.
And sitting there in the middle of all of it was this cameraā¦ and this idea that had been living in the back of my mind since I was a kid.
So I jumped.
My first paid session was an extended family with more than 20 people, which honestly feels slightly insane looking back. I was terrified the entire time. I drove home convinced I had let them down and that the photos werenāt good enough.
Then they loved them.
Not only did they love them, they recommended me to other people too. That session mattered more to me than they probably realize, because I think it was the first time I understood that maybe I wasnāt the best judge of my own work.
A few weeks later, I started offering back-to-school mini sessions. Then families started booking. Then they started coming back. Then they started telling their friends.
Somewhere along the way, this stopped feeling like a desperate attempt to survive a hard season and started feeling real.
By April of this year, I was completely booked out and struggling to keep up in the best possible way. And for the first time, I let myself believe maybe this dream Iāve carried around since childhood could actually become something.
But I want people to know something important:
Dani Snaps was not built from desperation alone.
The layoff pushed me to finally take the leap, yes. But this dream existed long before that. It existed in disposable cameras, in photo albums, scrapbooks, and in every moment I was desperate to freeze time for just a second longer.
Photographs are some of the most meaningful things I own. They become priceless over time. They hold people exactly as they were in that season of life, and I know firsthand how much that matters.
So when someone trusts me to photograph their family, their babies, their milestones, their loveā¦ I do not take that lightly. I never will.
If youāve booked with me, supported me, shared my name, liked my posts, or trusted me with your memories, thank you. Truly.
And if youāve been thinking about booking a session, Iād love to meet you š„°
