My Story

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whim·si·cal/ˈ(h)wimzikəl/

Adjective:

1.     Playfully quaint or fanciful, esp. in an appealing and amusing way.- from Dictionary.com

Rumor has it that I am frequently prone to flights of fancy, sudden bursts of whimsy that strike unannounced and fiercely, grabbing hold of my creative side and begging to be fed. My family will tell you that these obsessionspassions have prepared them to anticipate months of days where anything goes and imagination reigns supreme. I'll just admit to being extremely focused on various interests, and every detail that lies therein, m'kay?

After the birth of my third child, I found myself extremely disappointed with the hospital newborn photos that I paid a small fortune to own. I had the strong suspicion that I could do better, and a few days after my daughter was born, I tried to duplicate some of the beautiful images I was finding online. While those first efforts were shot on auto with a kit lens, they were still far better than the paid hospital shots. As well, as a new mom, home with just a little one for the first time in 11 years, I found myself needing a creative outlet to express the range of emotions that washed over me on what seemed to be an hourly basis. At around the same time, I was trying desperately to remember what my older children had done at this fleeting age. Sifting through old photographs, I returned to memories long since forgotten, forever grateful that I had spent my leisure money on a bazillion rolls of film and processing years before. I came to the startling realization that I had been overly judicious in my photo choices, because film was expensive, and you didn't get a do-over. I remember wishing I had taken even more photos of the day to day, berating myself for being "careful" and putting a price on my memories. I found myself becoming deeply impassioned about archiving my family's life. 

Enter my newfound obsession with love of digital photography. Digital offered me instant gratification, an easy way to change a setting here, tweak a dial there, and learn and adjust almost immediately. Nap times became my class time, and I became my own student, with the help of a dozen or so sites on the interwebs. I stole borrowed the DSLR I gifted to my husband for Christmas three years prior and got completely hooked on figuring the darn thing out. The auto box bored me almost immediately, and I took pictures of anything and everything while I learned to shoot on the quite intimidating Manual. I made so many mistakes, having no idea what proper exposure even was, much less how to achieve it. Eventually, it clicked (ha ha, pun intended!). By now the camera was a fixture of daily life. My children finally stopped rolling their eyes every time they spotted the tell tale bag holding the camera in the car, and my husband affectionately referred to "his camera" as "the fourth child". Of course,  I may have crossed the line a few times, and, ok, it is entirely possible that my teenage daughter may have threatened to disown me if I took it on one more shopping trip.  And maaaaaaybe my husband accused me a time or ten of being a wee bit of a camera hog. And, ok, so mayaaaaaybe a little more than two years, better glass and a new camera body later, he still has to wrestle the camera from me to snap a few shots. (Note to self: buy husband his own camera for Father's Day!)


My ultimate goal is to take pictures that tell a story, preserve time, and live each moment to the fullest.  That is what I strive to give my own family, and aim to pass on to my clients.  A session with me is sure to be laid back, relaxed, but most of all...fun!  Think playing dress up in your mom's closet meets coffee date with your BFF, and that about covers it. Whimsical, anything goes, and never a dull moment...that's me!