In every business class, entrepuerner how-to guide, and photography course, one of the very first things they want you to do is to find your WHY. My answers typically range from “because I am passionate about photography” to “I want to create beautiful images”. And these are all accurate, but to be honest none of them have ever felt like my actual why. In my current business course, the first homework assignment was not just find you're why. It was find your why behind your why. *insert eye-roll here* I had no idea where I was going to find the why behind my why, because I didn’t really even know where my why was. So how in the world was I supposed to look behind it and dive deeper. Well, in true God fashion, he steps in and later that same afternoon he gives me not only my why, but the why behind my why…
As some of you know, I am in the beginning phases of moving into a new house and not just any house, but my great aunt’s home. As I was cleaning and preparing the house for a few minor upgrades, I stumbled across a old shoe box in the back of a cabinet. Scribbled on the top was the word “pictures” and of course, my curiosity got the best of me and so I opened it. Inside were hundreds of pictures. Pictures full of younger versions of my three great aunts, my grandparents, and even my parents. Images telling the stories of how life was before I was ever even thought of. Black and white images that are worn on the edges from being carried around in wallets and overseas during wars. Old portraits of faces resembling my siblings and myself, showing just how strong those family genes are. Snapshots overflowing with laughter and smiles (and of course, some where smiling didn’t seem to be an option.) Photo after photo offered a new part of the story…my story.
When I opened that shoebox, it amazed me the emotions that overwhelmed me and the connection I began to feel to my ancestors. And that is when it hit me…Sitting on the floor of my soon-to-be new home, holding a small 1x1 photograph of my beautiful great aunt, I finally found my true why. I found the reason I do what I do. The explanation of why I work late into the night and on the weekends editing and writing these posts. I found a new purpose in doing something that I already love. And that purpose is so one day your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, children of friends, and maybe even strangers will stumble across an old shoebox (or maybe an old USB) stuffed full of images of you radiantly dressed in white on one of the best days of your life, or maybe you are pregnant with your beautiful and smart second born, or your senior year where you are rocking that latest trend (and someone will say, “Oh look that is back in style”), or maybe they see time frozen on your first anniversary, where you have learned that marriage is hard…but also really, really beautiful, or maybe they will see just you smiling ear-to-ear joyful in this moment of life. I want your future family to feel what I felt when going through that shoebox. I want them to feel hope and love, when looking at your portraits. I want them to be curious about this part of your life and get to know you more. I want them to feel a connection with you that they never felt before. I want them to smile when they see you smile and maybe cry as they play back memories of you. I want them to want to find out more about who is in photo, why they are in the photo, and where that photo was taken. I want them to feel honored to be the continuation of your story!
This my why. This is the why behind why. I truly want to capture you in a way that will make the future stop and wonder. Yes, I want to still create beautiful images, works of art, but that is no longer my primary focus. My goal for my business this year is to live out this why. I want to focus on telling stories and capturing life as it is right now. So please let me leave you with this: Do not wait to take the images. Do not wait for you to lose the weight. Or get your hair styled perfectly. Or wearing the latest trend. Don’t delete the photos, because your double chin decided to show up or your hand said “lets be awkward.” TAKE THE PICTURE. Whether that is with a professional or with your phone, take them, because the future won’t care. They will only be grateful!
I promise I will get back to blogging beautiful images of beautiful people in the next few weeks, but I, also, will be sharing tips on storing your images, where to order prints, and other helpful tidbits that will make telling your story easier.