Why Not?

Photographing solos, a one year old's birthday party, and a family with a new little arrival has kept me on my toes lately, and I hadn't yet gotten the chance to share a few little gems with you from a few weeks ago. Here on a quiet Saturday at home, I've had the chance to take it easy a bit and reflect on the past couple of weeks, and I came across some pictures of two adorable furry friends celebrating their birthday.

Being out here in Del Rio for just a year has allowed me to pause a bit and reflect on why it is I really love photography. I've always been a bit conflicted, and I couldn't really figure out why. I know it's tough for any artist along that journey of trying to figure out what makes them unique as a creative individual, and for most it's a life long journey that has to be tread with grace and patience.

Being completely honest, sometimes I can get frustrated setting up a shot I've seen before on Pinterest, and when it doesn't look at all as I remembered, I get down on myself. I've come to the realization that each photographer's methods and strengths are very different, and trying to recreate shots others have done can leave you frustrated because my experiences in learning and developing my art will always be different than the next photographer...and I should be embracing this!

I love documenting stories. I feel like my strengths lie in telling a story by anticipating emotion, noticing the little things that often go overlooked, acting on the fly, and weaving picture memories together into a story book. I may never be one to plan a perfect shoot complete with detailed props, and hand crafted backgrounds... and that's ok. I'm a photojournalist, I like to photograph genuine moments in time as they happen, and I'm loving exploring what might come of this discovery. For now, I'm trying to bring my camera with me more to just shoot. Not putting pressure obtaining anything major from it, but just shooting for the love of it... hence why I brought my camera to my friend's dog's birthday party. Because when there is cake and puppies involved, why not bring my camera?