My Photography Journey
…and portfolio
In 2008, I took up photography as a hobby… and it blossomed into a business. I loved it, until I felt like I had lost my hobby. So, in 2017 I photographed my final session, sold all my equipment, and closed my business.
In 2020, during the pandemic, I did a lot of soul-searching after the loss of a dream job I had. I decided to return to school so that I’d have a better shot at getting another dream job, but I also told myself that upon graduation, I’d pick up my hobby of photography again.
Between 2017-2021, I had a lot of friends and family saying they missed being able to have me take pictures for them, and honestly, I missed that part too.
I missed my hobby!
During my 4-year break, I found myself often perusing my photography portfolio, and the more I did it, the more I even surprised myself with how much I had improved over the almost 10 years I had been a photographer.
And I thought it would be fun to share here too…
So, let’s take a little jaunt down memory lane together, shall we?
I give you the not-so-good, the better, and the best of my portfolio from oldest to newest… I often look at my oldest, not-so-good work and think, “wow, I thought I was good then.” Who knew I would have improved as much as I did!
Everyone starts somewhere…
2010
I technically started taking pictures as a hobby in 2008, but I didn’t keep a portfolio of anything until the end of 2009 - and it was only one family portrait session. I spent the majority of 2010 photographing anyone that would get in front of my camera, which was mostly my family and friends. I did get paid for a few sessions this year, so I suppose this is when I became “professional” in the sense that I was being paid for my services.
2011
I really began to up my game and focus on learning more. I continued to charge for photo sessions but also continued to offer portfolio-building sessions for people I chose. I photographed my first wedding as a “second shooter” this year.
2012
This was when I really considered myself a professional photographer because I started to book a lot of consistent portrait sessions and booked my first two paid weddings. I also continued to photograph a number of weddings as a second shooter to improve and get comfortable with the pressure of photographing weddings. I also photographed my first birth story this year - and that was an incredible experience!
2013
I photographed one of my busiest years as a professional photographer and produced some of my favorite work this year!
2014
This was my busiest year as a professional photographer, and it was the year I told myself I wouldn’t let myself be that busy again. I loved it, but it was stressful because we also moved 300 miles away. It was the year I really started to consider making a big shift to a new style of portrait work I fell in love with. My wedding and family portrait work felt like it was at a peak and I needed a change.
2015
I officially changed to a new genre of shooting, which meant I entered a new portfolio-building phase because it was totally different than anything I had done. I reinvented my photography business brand and started fresh.
2016
I made more money this year than in all of my previous years combined as a professional photographer and photographed about half the number of sessions as my busiest year. It blew my mind! I really LOVED the experience I was providing and the portraits I was making.
2017
I decided shortly into this year that I needed to let my business go. It surprised A LOT of people, but I knew I had lost my hobby. So, in May I photographed my final session and moved on to become a full-time freelancer.
2018 and beyond…
In 2018, I photographed exactly one family session for some of our closest friends because they begged me. Then I didn’t shoot a single session or even really pick up a camera (besides my phone - because I had sold every bit of my equipment) much until 2021 - which is when I made the decision to rediscover my hobby and love for photography “unprofessionally”.
What’s next?
Mentally, I had to sell all of my equipment because, in my mind, the equipment I had was for my business, and I found it very hard to shift back to a hobby mindset if I kept it. I told myself that when I was ready, I would pick up my hobby again. And I would buy a new camera and new lenses and keep it much simpler. I’m only photographing my closest friends and family in this hobby venture. And I’m committing to doing it for the enjoyment I find in it.
It was really bittersweet for me to go through all of my work - from the very beginning where it all started. I loved what I did, but I love photography as a hobby much more. So I’m excited to return to that.