Really? Why am I a Photographer?

I LOVE photography! I love getting to capture people’s most exciting moments and knowing that people will be looking at my pictures for years to come.  This is the truth.

I love capturing the innocence of a newborn.

I love capturing the joy of a child.

I love capturing the love two share.

There is another truth, however: photography can be tiring! I am a full time student who also works on campus to pay for tuition. Running a business on top of my already busy schedule can me really hard. I’ll be completely honest—there are days I wonder if I can edit one more picture. What is it that makes me push onward?

Recently, when I was asked to photograph a funeral, I began to ponder once again why I am a photographer. I love photographing people’s greatest moments, but do I want to photograph their worst? A few weeks prior I was speaking to a kind gentleman about my photography business, and now I was being asked to photograph his funeral? Was this something I could do?

The answer was yes. It's not just capturing the joy of life that I love about photography. It's about capturing all of life -- the good times and the bad. Life is so much more than "good times" however God has given us a world where through Christ's blood we can rejoice even in death. It wasn't easy for me to photograph sorrow, but it was still doing what I love to do: capturing the world God has given us. 

On days when the homework piles up, and the stress level rises as I try desperately to get pictures delivered to clients there are a few things that make photography well worth the time and effort.

1) Knowing my Pictures may be Cherished: I recently heard from a bride that told me her husband's grandpa had just past away. Their wedding pictures now were even more special. I once was asked to photograph residents at a nursing home so that they could have a picture of themselves. A few months later a worker told me that for many residents my picture was the last one to be taken before their death. Their family members now have it.

One of the pictures I took of my clients' grandpa at their wedding.

2) Knowing I Want to Capture as Much of Life's Journey as Possible: I don't want to only remember the times that I feel are important now. God brings beauty through pain and suffering. Sometimes we must remember the pain to appreciate the beauty.

Mrs. Herchenroeder stood near her husbands casket singing, "Death where is they sting? Grave thy victory? Christ has conquered all!" As I took this picture I realized my pictures would not only show sorrow, they would also show the power of awesome power of God that gives a widow strength to praise him. 

Yes, photography isn't always "fun," but it is almost always rewarding. I have the privilege to capture life's journey. My hope is that one day when I am long gone there will still be people enjoying pictures I took of their grandparents, and at pictures of Mrs. Herchenroeder and seeing the power of God.

Thank you to all who have supported me in my journey as a photographer! Thank you to all of my super sweet clients who have written me notes of encouragment. You'll never know how much your kinds words have meant to me!

 “ Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow." – Imogen Cunningham