The Positive Woman
04 - 04 - 2016
Currently, my day job is not photography: it is to be a facilitator (case worker) for an organization called Wraparound Services of NELA. In case you haven't heard the rumor: being a case worker is hard. I'm not going to lie, sometimes I fall into a rabbit hole of negativity, but I have a coworker that reminds me of the power of positivity. Her name is Nina, and she is a young, single mother of two beautiful children, and on the side of being a working mother, she is also an online student. Through out the time we have worked together, I have seen her go through a lot of tough times, but I have remained amazed at how strong her faith is.
After my husband gave me a new lens for Christmas, I needed to practice using it, and I couldn't think of a better way to practice than to offer Nina a free photo-shoot, as a gift for consistently encouraging and inspiring me. She deserves all the happiness in the world, and she's not afraid to claim it.
Cherishing Their Moments with Tiger
01 - 25 - 2016
After not having a client for a while, I was surprised when someone I didn't know left me a voicemail asking for my services, and while I'm mostly happy to get another client, I had mixed feelings after hearing the voicemail: I was saddened by the situation the person was in, honored to have been chosen to perform these services, fearful that I wouldn't do a good enough job, and touched by the sincere love the person had for their dog. Michelle, the person who called, was hoping I could photograph her dog, Tiger, and take a family picture because she was just told he might not live too much longer.
I immediately responded, grateful to not only have a new client, but to be a part of something so special and immensely important. Thankfully, I was free that weekend, so I was able to meet both Michelle and Tiger that Saturday. Michelle and her husband were incredibly nice, and Tiger and his sisters were especially adorable. Not only was I able to get a great family photo, but I was able to take several head shots and portraits of their three dogs.
This project was one of the most important I've done, and it was truly an honor. I give all my love and thanks to their family for choosing me to be a part of it!
A Fun-filled Morning with Hunter and Hannah
12 - 29 - 2015
Hannah is extremely welcoming and sincerely friendly, and she was the first friend that I made here in Louisiana. I met her at the Cane's Dog Park in West Monroe, and after showing her some pictures that I had taken of my pups, her heart was set on having me take photos of her and her husband for the holidays. Thankfully, I truly was able to photograph her and her husband, as well as Harley, their black Labrador, for the holidays!
Hannah's parents have a gorgeous house in the country, so Hannah asked if I could take their photos there, and I ended up having my mind blown at how beautiful everything was. Since our pups are actually good friends, Hannah invited my doberman, Merlin, to join us that morning. I would usually not take my dog to a photo-shoot, but because of how well Merlin and Harley play together, I thought we could all benefit from them playing and tiring each other out. Since they have a big lot in the country, they allow their dogs to roam free, and Merlin had never experienced that kind of freedom before, so I could tell that he absolutely loved it.
Hannah and her family couldn't have been better hosts: they fed me Pinterest worthy snacks and taught me how to make the best mimosa I've ever tasted. They allowed me to take my time photographing them, and they made our morning more of a fun-filled experience than a photo-shoot. There were so many different areas we were able to take photos at, and I was so happy that I was able to capture beautiful photos that well represented these beautiful people.
Thank you Hannah and Hunter for giving me this amazing experience, and I hope that you enjoy your photos as much as I enjoyed spending time with you!
Photographying Paws for a Cause
11 - 01 - 2015
The dogs I photographed at 4 Paws Dog Rescue probably helped me out a lot more than I helped them. As a child, I was always told to stay practical and to keep my hobbies as hobbies, so I would have never started doing professional photography if I hadn't had a major push. When Joe and I moved to Ruston, Louisiana, I had a really hard time finding a job, making friends, and finding my niche. When depression set in, I was desperate to feel better about myself, so I researched non profit organizations I could volunteer at. Thankfully, I came across 4 Paws and saw they were in need of a photographer. As a dog lover, I was excited to combine two of my favorite things: dogs + photography. I immediately called the organization and started volunteering.
As I started taking dozens of photos and emailing them to 4 Paws, I saw that they weren't posting them on their site, but I posted them on Facebook and told as many people as I could about this project. I kept taking photos because my friends on Facebook seemed to be really inspired, and one of them said that I changed their perspective on dogs completely. Even if 4 Paws wasn't posting the pictures, I was changing people's perspectives, and that was invaluable to me. I eventually saw myself getting better at taking photography, and I became more confident in my skills, so I decided to start my own business.
These pictures may not be on their website, but they ARE of rescued dogs from 4 Paws, and I hope that you enjoy viewing these pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!
