Welcome to my world – photographically speaking. Actually, I think it’s more than that – it’s the people and a particular way of seeing them.
I’ll never forget the first time I was given the opportunity to photograph people in a professional setting. Prior to that point in time, it had never occurred to me that I might become – or be – a professional photographer. It was one of those “accidents” in life that I tend to believe has nothing to do with an accident.
The history is this… I was attending college in Orlando, Florida in the late 80s. Because I was a single mom, I couldn’t afford not to work, so I worked my 40 hours a week during the day, attended night school, and did homework in between. I LOVED school and could have been a professional student. But, finances were tough – so tough in fact that I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to keep my 4 year old daughter fed. So, I needed extra work. But, I couldn’t afford a babysitter! So, the requirements were pretty firm – I needed work I could do out of my home in the wee hours of the morning.
Day after day I scoured the Orlando Sentinel looking for any kind of work that would fit this bill – and lo and behold it happened. A man was looking for someone to do freelance illustrative artwork for his company. Needless to say – I was determined that this job would be mine – and it was. Hugh Jackson was his name. The quintessential southern gentleman in his late 70s. I loved Hugh – he so reminded me of my own grandfather back in Columbus, ND. Hugh gave me work throughout the remainder of my college days and when graduation time came, he offered me a full time job with his company establishing an art department. But, Hugh knew I was always hungry to earn more – and learn more. So, he offered me the opportunity to supplement my regular income with weekend photo shoots through the main thrust of his business – a national event photography company.
So, life came full circle on the day that I did my first shoot for Hugh. Literally, in a moment, I realized that my love of art and my love of people had been destined. I know it sounds corny – but it still makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck every time I remember it.
This blog is all about the world I see through the lens. It’s about you and me – and the fun and the art of it all.
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