People often ask me,“why photography? What made you choose photography over options out there?”
The long version of the story is - photography kind of chose me.
Nine years ago, my sister and I were adopted from a small village in Ethiopia at the ages of 10 and 7 (I was the 10 year old). When we moved to the United States I struggled in several different ways -but mostly in the area of school. I was very behind, and English was my second language. Learning English was difficult, but going to school everyday and not really fully understanding what was going on, was even harder. I wanted to make friends, and seemed to do that easily, but never really felt as smart as everyone else. So when high school hit - I wasn’t fully feeling the traditional college path.
I knew however, that I was always passionate about people specifically orphans and refugees and knew I wanted to something around that. After growing up in Ethiopia and living in Bangkok, Thailand for three years, this seemed natural. But -two years ago I went to a mission trip with my church to Bangkok (after my family had moved back to the States) and had an amazing time working with some of the kids there and sharing my story. I loved everything we did with the kids and ended up taking a ton of pictures. I had always loved taking pictures for fun, but being around those kids made me realize how one picture can be so powerful and special. I thought what if I could help kids in the world with photography, just by snapping a picture and telling their story.
I loved taking pictures and showing them to the kids. Their faces would light up at a simple iPhone pic and I loved being able to bring them joy-even if only for a few minutes, because 9 years ago, before an amazing couple adopted me and my little sister, I was one of those kids.
My love for photography was growing at the point and so was my desire to use it for something bigger than just a few headshots. I wanted to take those kids home with me but I couldn’t. It broke my heart saying goodbye to them. I wanted them to know how amazing, beautiful, special, and loved by God they were. I wanted them to see the beauty they had inside of them.
Pictures. Pictures could do that in a small, simple way.
A well taken photo can make a person feel beautiful, powerful, special, wanted, perfect, loved and seen. Photography can tell a story with one simple click, and that is what I wanted to be able to do.
A few months later, I was at the beginning of my senior year, thinking about what to do next. I wanted to take pictures for a living - but didn’t know where to start. So - one night I told my mom that’s what I wanted to do and she said, “Okay - let’s do it”. An hour later she had my website done, and had messaged some friends to see if they wanted pics. Before I knew it, I was doing test shoot after test shoot and loving every minute of it. I spent lots of time watching YouTube videos learning how to shoot better and edit my photos. I eventually started to book paying shoots and ended up landing an internship once I graduated. And next week, I am heading to India to hopefully show a few kids a few pics that bring them some joy for just a little while.
Now I’ve been doing photography for almost a year and it’s been amazing. I’ve worked with so many incredible people, getting to hear their stories and be a part of capturing important seasons in their lives. I love making people feel beautiful and loved because at the end of the day I truly believe that everyone is beautifully made by God.
Sometimes I get to work with people that are going through something rough in their life and I get to part of helping them create new memories or restore old ones. Sometimes I get to work with people who have just accomplished something huge - and I get to help them capture the celebration. And one day - I hope to be able to spend lots of time traveling the world - telling the stories of all the kids out there, praying for a safe home to grow up in.
For now, I will be snapping pics here in Nashville and taking as many trips as possible.
I believe that photographers are in a unique position to show people what’s going on in the world and in people’s lives without saying a word. We can illustrate life and it’s possibilities and pains. As a Christian, I can use this gift to bless others and connect those in need to those who can help.
I still have a lot to learn as a photographer and building a business is so much harder than I ever thought it would be. But - I know this is what God’s called me to, at least for the time being, so I plan on doing it to the best of my ability and look forward to all of the amazing people I will get to meet along the way!
Want to stay up to date on my India trip? Be sure to follow me over on Instagram - I will be sharing highlights from my trip in my IG stories. And - you can subscribe to receive my blog updates - so you can be one of the first people to read about my trip once I get back!