09/26/2026
Iโve been wanting to make this post for a while, but I think part of me had to build up the courage to actually do it. So here it goes..
Iโm still very new to photography. Iโm only about six months into this journey, completely self taught, and I know I still have so much to learn. But more than anything, Iโve been wanting to reach out and truly connect with the community around me.
If you know me personally, you know Iโm sweet, supportive, humble, kind, and an overall genuine person. Iโve spent most of my life focused on just surviving, taking care of others, and doing whatever I had to do to make a better life for my children. Coming out of my shell and allowing myself to pursue something simply because I love it has been a journey of its own.
I became a mom at 16 years old.
At that age, the only thing I really knew was that I had a baby to take care of and I had to figure out how we were going to make it. My first job was at a fast food restaurant at 16 with a newborn at home. Soon enough Iโd find myself raising my children alone.
I knew very early that I never wanted to settle in life for my children.
When I was 15 and almost 6 months pregnant, I was court ordered to get my GED. I had missed a lot of school, but at the same time, my grandmother, the woman who raised me, was living out her final days. I spent so much of that time with her, going in and out of hospitals and just trying to be there.
Those experiences changed me.
I saw firsthand how vulnerable people are when theyโre sick. I also saw moments where my grandmother wasnโt treated with the kindness or compassion I felt she deserved, and it made me angry. But somewhere in that anger, a flame was lit in me.
I wanted to be different.
I wanted to become the person who could bring kindness, compassion, and light into someoneโs life during one of their hardest seasons.
So I got my GED, started college, and began pursuing nursing.
Over the years, I became an LVN and worked as one for four years. Then I went back to school, continued my education, completed my RN program, and graduated with my associateโs degree.
Fast forward to today.
Iโm 29 years old and a mom to two amazing children, 13 and 11, and I have a loving partner who Iโve had the pleasure of doing this crazy thing called โlifeโ with and someone who has showed me life doesnโt need to be done alone. Someone who has supported every journey of mine unconditionally. Above everything else being the best mother I can be and raising my children to their highest standards is one of the most important things in my life. I currently work full time as a registered nurse in the ICU, and Iโm now looking toward the next chapter of my education and pursuing my bachelorโs degree.
Nursing is a huge part of who I am.
But photography has always been somewhere inside of me too.
I always wanted to do it, but for a long time I didnโt have the knowledge, the money, or anyone around me to show me how to start. Still, I felt drawn to it every time I had even a simple camera phone in my hands.
And if Iโm being completely vulnerable, photography means even more to me because of my own insecurities.
Growing up, I never felt completely confident in my own image. There were times when being in front of a camera made me feel uncomfortable, insecure, or like I didnโt belong.
I know what that feeling is like.
Thatโs why one of the most important things to me now as a photographer is making sure the person standing in front of my camera feels safe, comfortable, beautiful, and seen.
Because being photographed can be intimidating.
Sometimes it takes a lot for someone to step in front of a camera and trust another person with their insecurities. I never want to take that lightly.
So when someone chooses me to photograph them, I genuinely give them my all.
People have asked me before if I would ever leave nursing and do photography full time.
The truth is, I donโt know.
I LOVE nursing. I love being at the bedside. I love the experience, the purpose, and being able to care for people when they need someone most.
But another part of me is completely IN LOVE with photography.
I love creating beautiful photographs. I love capturing moments people will never get back. I love being able to hand someone a memory of their baby, their family, their wedding day, their graduation, or simply a season of their life that meant something to them.
Thereโs something about knowing that years from now, someone may look at a photograph I took and be brought right back to that moment.
That makes me feel incredibly fulfilled.
Iโm still learning.
Iโm still growing.
And Iโm not ashamed to say that.
Iโm trying to discover who I am as an artist while continuing to learn from the world around me.
But one thing Iโve noticed is that sometimes this community can feel very divided. It can feel like everyone is protecting their corner, watching one another, comparing, competing, or wondering who is doing what.
And I would genuinely love to see something different.
I would love to see more community.
More encouragement.
More people/photographers cheering for one another.
More conversations where someone can say, โI donโt know how to do this,โ without feeling embarrassed.
More opportunities to learn from each other instead of feeling like we have to figure everything out alone.
Because I know what it feels like to have to figure LIFE out alone. And come on, life is already as hard as it is.
And maybe thatโs part of why community means so much to me now.
I truly believe God places the right people in our path at the right time. I believe what is meant for me will find me, and what is meant for someone else will find them too.
There is room for all of us.
So this is ME putting myself out there.
This is me sharing my story, my heart, and the reason behind what I do.
And I would love to bring local photographers together.
Whether youโve been doing this for ten years or ten weeks, Iโd love to create a space where we can connect. Maybe that looks like grabbing coffee together. Maybe itโs a photographer meet-up. Maybe we organize styled shoots where we can practice, create, and learn from one another. Maybe we share knowledge, recommend one another when weโre already booked, help each other troubleshoot, or simply become people who can genuinely cheer each other on.
Not competitors. No mean girl energy.
Just creatives who understand that someone else succeeding does not mean there is less success available for us.
I donโt know exactly what this could turn into yet.
But I do know Iโd love to be part of building something kind.
Something supportive.
Something where people feel welcomed.
So if youโre another photographer in the area, whether youโre established, still learning, or somewhere in between, Iโd genuinely love to connect with you. ๐ค
Maybe we can create something beautiful beyond the photos, too.
