THEN: I was in the middle of my last HEAVILY packed semester at Weber State University for my undergrad. Warren and I had just gotten engaged a few months prior, and we were both working full time, and planning our wedding day. Along with many other classes, I chose a beginners photography class for my last semester; I wanted to see if that spark for portrait photography was still there...
Turns out my little point and shoot camera did not meet the DSLR requirement for the class. So extremely financially strapped, downhearted and beyond stressed, I told Warren. My solution was to plead with my dad to borrow his REALLY nice camera and equipment if he would let me.
My boyfriend/fiance now Husband Warren said "don't worry about it sweetie, I'm sure something will come along!"
That evening I picked him up at our old familiar public train stop that we said our hello's and goodbyes more times than I can count... I scanned the crowd for him and immediately saw he was carrying some weird side bag along with his laptop bag.
I recognized what kind of bag it was and started to bawl. "Well, you needed a camera for this passion and soon to be business of yours right? So here's your first one!" He had found someone selling their camera online, CONVINCED them to drive TO his work to so he could test it (he's a bit of a handy camera man himself!) and brought it home to me!
That special camera was a Nikon D50 (beginning of the nikon DSLR family). I fell back in love with photography.
I eventually parted with that little camera when my husband surprised me AGAIN with a new camera; my Canon t6i! This camera worked for a solid 4 months before it FRIED itself on a beautiful beach in Hawaii (and an innumerable amount of tears were shed by my own accord). That little bugger, was sold 'brand new' but had been completely dumped (multiple times) in brackish water before being sold to small starting business owner; me.
All of this? Happened right in the middle of my first year of business. Needless to say I was extremely worried, stressed, disheveled and had convinced myself I would flop and never be able to recover...
How about NOW?
After the tragedy of the t6i, we were able to invest in upgrading again to the t7i in 2017. My husband AGAIN, surprised me with a brand new high end lens for my birthday in 2018. I have been able to invest more time in finding my OWN style, voice, creative niche through webinars, trainings, courses, mentoring, updated editing programs, more efficient delivery programs, prints, albums and marketing courses!! I look back on my Nikon in 2015 and cry tears of joy. That little camera propelled me into investing and gaining the momentum to finally reaching my potential I KNEW I had; I just had to follow the path I was being led on.
I have been pushing this gigantic boulder up this giant mountain, wondering when I was going to get to the top. I'm not quite there yet? But! I sure do see how far I have come through guidance, love, persistence and gratitude.
I have been extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to upgrade my camera and all its equipment. I've been so blessed to have such amazing strides to where I am. Everything I have done this last two years? Has been re-invested back into my clients through upgrading, serving, giving and ensuring quality over quantity for my clients. I love seeing where I've been, to know how fast I have grown and know with certainty where we will be going together!
