The Journey
Hey friends, thank you for visiting my website!
I wanted to add the blog section so I could share whole sessions when I am done editing. But today, I wanted to share the story of my journey into becoming a photographer on the blog also.
I would like to be able to start off by saying, photography had been my dream since I was a toddler or teenager, but it just didn't work out that way! Looking back now I can see that it was my future all along, even though I didn't know it, and every step I took was guiding me here. Like most students coming out of high school, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I tried college for teaching, I tried being a veterinarian technician, I worked office jobs for various companies, but none of my jobs ever felt like they would mean anything in the future. The funny thing about photography is I loved it all along, I just never recognized it. I was always asking for cameras from my parents for my birthdays & Christmas, but I didn't think anything of that. My mom always bought me film cameras as a kid, and later I got my first digital camera. I loved that little silver Canon PowerShot (I'm a Nikon girl these days). I would pose my little sister in various rooms in the house and outdoors, take her photos, print them, and put them on my wall in my bedroom. But back then, it never clicked that I could dream of being a photographer. After high school, I moved on to various jobs, and still even then photography followed me in the form of a fancy new iPhone. When I worked at the vet hospital I was always taking pictures of the animals, beautiful horses in the pastures, little puppies when I'd take them out for walks in the grass. I was also always taking pictures of beautiful scenery, sunsets, trees, editing them on my iPhone apps and posting them on social media. At one point I created an album on Facebook called 'Photos I've Taken', still nothing in my brain signaled a career in photography in my future. When my sister had my godchild is when I started dipping back into photos of people. When she was a newborn we put her into a little basket and I photographed her, when she turned one we put her in a colorful tutu and I photographed her, even at this point, it never ran through my head that I was practicing for my future. It wasn't until the photos we took for her second birthday were put on Facebook, and I got my first request from someone to take photos of their kids. At that point, it was still something I was doing just for fun. As more and more people started asking, I started considering that this could actually take me somewhere. In October 2011, I purchased my first beginner DSLR and began teaching myself! It took a lot of trial & error to start figuring things out, lots of late night YouTube videos, and online tutorials and articles. Then later, in March of 2012, Emily Rose Photography became a legally licensed business. I was still working an office job and doing photography during the weekends & evenings. I couldn't believe that people wanted little ole me to photograph their children & families. In February 2013, I was getting way too overwhelmed with working a full time time and being a photographer so I took a huge chance and left my office job to focus on photography only. And here I am today, where I never expected to be! In love with my 'job' and growing my own business. This journey has certainly not always been easy, there have been many very low lows and many times that I wanted to give it all up, but I never could do it. I kept pushing through, I kept learning, I kept growing, I made mistakes, and learned from those mistakes. I kept positive, uplifting, and encouraging people by side and focused on making myself better as a business owner and an artist. My dream of being a photographer didn't come early in life but it was always destined to be my future.
We all have to start somewhere, and although I am not entirely proud of some of the first images below, I am proud of how far I've come and how hard I worked to get here. So I cringe as I upload these, but they are just a part of my journey!
The very first photos of my godchild, back in 2009, before I was ever thinking of being a photographer. We hung a brown sheet, put her in what I think might have been a wicker laundry basket, with a camo blanket. Sigh... But she is still the cutest little girl ever!
Hello orange baby!! Haha! I don't know what I was editing with at this time but yikes! Still the cutest little girl, though!
This was one of the photos of my godchild that was posted online that was the start of people asking me about photographing their children... I am really not sure what they saw haha! But hey, this is what started Emily Rose Photography.
2011 was when I first started working with clients. I had alot to learn about angles, and over-sharpening eyes!
I was SO excited about this session in 2012! It was an awesome location and a beautiful couple! I was beginning to understand my settings at this time, and started working in Photoshop.
2013 was the year I figured out that seniors was my thing! I fell in love with senior sessions that year and it became my specialty after that!
In 2013, I really learned alot about my camera, settings, light, and composition and by 2014 I was really proud of the work I was producing. Business really picked up and I had my best year so far.
And now, here I am, in the beginning of 2015. This year is gonna be my year! I am going to push myself to be better than I have before! I can't wait to see what this year has in store!
Thanks to all those clients who gave me a chance in the beginning & those who supported me from the beginning! I wouldn't be here without each of you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story, and I hope you give me the opportunity to photograph YOU some day.
|For me, photography is to place head, heart, and eye along the same line of sight. It is a way of life.|