Life is like a box of chocolates.

Silly, I know. But the past few months have shown me how many different random things can come together and form something delicious. I don’t want to give away too much yet, but I’ll start this story with the birth of my first daughter, Marielle.

Marielle was born June 2008. I had been wanting some pictures taken of her, but didn’t really know anyone to do it. I knew I didn’t want to go into a studio, I really wanted to be at home, where I’d be comfortable and so would she. I was looking on Myspace (I know, that sounds so foreign now!), and saw that a friend of mine from grade school, and even pre-K, Jennifer, was doing photography. I knew she went into that after school, but didn’t know how far she actually took it. She wasn’t living here in Baton Rouge, but I decided to send her a private message just telling her that if she was ever in town, I’d love for her to take pictures of Marielle. She messaged me back very quickly and said she was going to be in town the next day and she could do it. I was really surprised and thought that it was so random that it all worked out. I didn’t even realize at the time that this was Jennifer’s first paid shoot, as an independent photographer. She came, took beautiful pictures, and has since taken MANY pictures of us.

 

 

 

 

These are just from Marielle’s first year. It was hard to pick just a few to post!

I think the second time she came to take pictures, I started grilling Jennifer about her camera and settings and pictures. She recommended a camera and a lens. I bought a camera within a few weeks, the same camera she used, and I have been taking pictures ever since. I took a class at LSU that really started me on my photography journey. About a year and a half ago, I bought the lens she recommended, a 50mm f1.4.

Outside of the past fall and winter, I have only taken pictures of my kids. A lot of pictures. In the beginning, I was averaging 1,000 pictures a month of my kids. Its really ludacris. I was hooked. I wanted more and more and more. Then I started thinking of it as something I could do after my girls got into school. A way to go back to “work” but not have to be at an office for a set amount of hours a week. Photography and editing could be anytime, and I could control it. So I took a few “sessions” this fall. Friends who wanted pictures. Just a few turned into about 20 people asking me to take pictures for them. More than I could handle. I started planning to really get started with a formal business after the first of the year.

In comes Jennifer, again. It’s funny how someone can come in and out of your life several times, randomly. Jennifer was in my pre-k class, and we went to grade school and high school together. I have known her since I was 3 or 4. And these last 4 years we have been in touch when she’s in Baton Rouge. She still doesn’t live here, but comes in town often. She knew I was interested in learning more from her. She told me I could come with her on some shoots as an assistant while she was in town and instead of paying me, I could learn and she’d do a session for my family. I jumped on it. I didn’t even want to get paid. I didn’t care, it was experience and a bank of information that I couldn’t buy. This “assisting” happened several times and recently a drive home from a photoshoot in New Orleans may have just turned into something…the box of chocolates. A job? A partnership? A business? We’ll see!!