06/10/2026
I wish I could go back in time 14 years ago to this little 16 year old girl, on her photography trip, who learned this all from scratch and show her all of our growth!
My first ever photograph was taken with an oatmeal can, if you know, you know - I thought it was crazy too, how you could direct light through a tiny pin hole on an oatmeal can, counting down the seconds of exposure before you had to hurry and seal it back up trying not to under/overexpose your photo.
Then I learned film cameras - after taking my photos I had to go in a pitch black room and take my film and roll it perfectly on a metal spiral, without seeing anything and only knowing what I was doing by touch - which then I would take to the “dark room” to develop the photos - the same way you see in movies with the special lights & photo baths. Everything was so particular with these, one tiny mishap and your whole photo is ruined.
I later learned my way around digital cameras. 13 years later, July of 2025, I picked it back up thinking I was just dipping my toes back into a hobby - that has led to all of this. Fun fact: the camera I started back out with just last year was an 11 year old DSLR, with a broken screen and a kit lens - so I was winging it and hoping for the best. I had to put in a lot of extra work to get my photos to come out good. But, I kept it up and worked hard to get the camera I have now, and I’m watching my own growth every single session!
All of this to say, there is so much that goes into your special moments. Your photographers’ time, effort, knowledge, and love that they put into this - it’s just as special to them as it is to you. I live for these timeless memories I get to capture. I’m grateful for all of the people I’ve met and will continue to meet - the friendships I’ve rekindled, the growth I’m able to share together with them. Im learning to love myself, my work and remembering to give myself grace every single day because that little 16 year old girl has come so far and the only way from here, is up! 🤍
