I’m often asked how I started down the road of photography as a business. Well… I examined my 28 years of life and discovered that no matter the route being traveled there was always a camera involved. Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.
- I worked for the US Forest Service two summers during college and cruising timber for Rayonier, Inc. in South Georgia one summer in college and I have a whole scrapbook of this hot, sweaty, stinky, boundary paint infested, herbicide hack-and-sprayed experience. Still not sure if one should have pictures of all that, but somehow photo opps were found during all that craziness. lol.
- Then I finished 6 years of college and ventured into the classroom teaching Agriculture. Again, same story. I have TONS of pictures of the whole experience. My students actually were tired of me busting out the camera for every. single. FFA meeting, field trip, activity etc. HERE is an example.
- Vacations were well documented.
- My childhood room was plastered with BFF photos.
- I’m a scrapbooker, so pictures are a must.
If I was around, it seemed no one else brought their cameras because they knew they could depend on me having MANY. Now, 6 years of college and two degrees obtained in the Natural Resource Conservation field, I’m a photographer. :O) Hind sight’s 20/20 huh?
After examining my life and determining that my degrees weren’t to be used (which I still cringe about to this day, but oh well.) I spent many days in my truck with my laptop. I couldn’t afford high speed internet, so I pirated some wifi from a couple of hotels. My initial website and blog, my email, and any research via internet were done illegally, I guess. Well… maybe not all of it. I did spend lots of time at Panera Bread too. lol.
I made myself search out local photographers and the group affiliated with PPA and made some phone calls to the pros in the area. I sounded like a big dum–dum on the phone because I couldn’t even explain what equipment I used but yet, I considered myself a photographer. I did however meet a couple other photoggies by doing this that were in the same boat as I and we instantly became friends! And I have to give a MAJOR shout out to all you photoggies that helped me make a start at it 🙂
I’m always reading photographer success stories and wondering how in the world they made it to where they are today… so this is a little piece of how I am ‘getting’ there *crossing fingers* 🙂
I’m leaving you today with one of my favorite images captured during 2009. Have I mentioned that I LOVE trees. I’m trying desperately to decide on a logo for myself at this time as well. All I know is that I want a tree incorporated somehow.
