Oftentimes, the only actual thing we have left of a person or place is a photograph. These photographs tell our stories of who we are, where we've been, what we've done, and those we've loved.
My earliest picture-taking influence was my grandfather. You never saw him without a camera around his neck. I think that he understood that the only way to preserve “life” as it moved along at breakneck speed was to capture it in a photograph. And he did just that…beautifully. He never won an award for his pictures, and no one ever saw them except his family. But one of my fondest memories was gathering around a large screen set up in my grandparents’ basement. He would drop countless slides into the projector, and then the “click click” sound would come, as his images began to drift across the screen. It was a time that my extended family would sit around together, often laughing at some random expression he caught on a grandchild’s face, marveling at the beautiful mountains and landscapes, and occasionally wiping a tear at a soft side-shot of a loved one who was no longer with us. It was more than just pictures, it was how those pictures bound the family together.
I think that I unknowingly absorbed his way of thinking, and when my own children came along, I did not wanting to miss a moment of their childhood. So I picked up a camera when they were quite young, and began to create photographic memories of them that would span 20+ years. At this point, I think they would be surprised if I did not stop them in whatever they were doing, and take a picture. Even if it’s just a quick shot with my phone camera! During these years, my camera would also travel with me from the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, Times Square in New York City and the musical streets of New Orleans, from Mexico, the Dominican Republic and to the other side of the world; the amazing country ofThailand.
As for my family, we are all total musical theater nerds. If you really want to see us jump to our feet, just start playing the overture from “The Phantom of the Opera.” My kids love it so much that they both have recieved theater and music degrees from a “Big 10” university, and now live and perform in the Milwaukee area. With all that drama and singing in the house, you can imagine why there were times that I’d have to go hide somewhere behind a closed door! But I wouldn’t of had it any other way, and it is a blessing to watch them using the God-breathed gifts they’ve been given. We love St. Louis Cardinals baseball; except our daughter who could care less about baseball, but will root for the Milwaukee Brewers just to antagonize the rest of us. We have also discovered that we are not a camping family (not for the lack of trying), and much prefer a lounge chair on the beach somewhere in the Caribbean. My husband and I met in college, and have been together ever since. After more than 30 years of marriage, there's no one else I'd rather go through life with than him!
Creative shots, filters, bold colors and lines - these are a few of my favorite things! Life is not boring, so why should your pictures be?
Every person, every place…has a story. Let’s capture the story of your life together!