How I Became a Photographer

Funny thing! My interest in photography is less about photography and more about creativity. Photography was the more satisfying, quick fix choice at the time because it’s easy to access and provides instant gratification. I can be creative with photography quickly, which helped fulfill my creative pull with a busy lifestyle.

But for creative people like myself I am often interested in multiple disciplines. My creative journey began very young. I can remember spending hours coloring, playing with stickers, molding play dough, and drawing. Thinking about my childhood these are my first memories.

I continued the creative journey throughout school and college, but in college I got discouraged from pursuing an art degree. I was told by many people I would never make money, what would I do with an art degree, you’ll be poor the rest of your life and I face a lot of adversity in graphic design because I am a woman. I decided it was best to pursue something else. I was never happy with those other choices. I thought about creativity, drawing, painting and photography all the time. However, there was always this voice in the back of my mind that said, “that dream has passed and you’re an adult now.”

At 36 years old that nagging has never stopped, even when I had a “real” job. So as a gift to myself, after landing my first “real” job in my twenties I bought a DSLR. I went to our local photo store and purchased my first “real” camera, a Nikon D40.

I took pictures of everything from raw chicken to cat toys. I thought I was being so artistic!

I met my husband a few years later and life got busier. I had less time for creativity or so I thought. I didn’t make time for the things I loved because I thought they would never go anywhere. It was a dream and it would stay that way. I just lived my life.

We had a child and everything went downhill with my emotional well-being. I had postpartum depression compounded with a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. I didn’t know how to deal with all of it other than doing something creative to help me work through my emotions.

I began using my camera to document my son in his everyday environment. It was like a gratitude journal for me. The photos helped me realize all the wonderful things I have and look forward to the future. Everything looked bright up ahead in my camera.

As my son got older and I wanted to make money again. I felt confident in my skills that I could open a business photographing families and weddings.

I did that for four years, part time. I soon learned that photographing families and weddings wasn’t for me. I didn’t really believe in it. However, I loved photographing nature and objects. Photographing those things felt like I was painting, putting things onto a blank canvas. I also love to write, draw and paint, just like in my childhood and college years.

So now that’s what I am doing taking those business skills I learned and applying them to make fine-art and stock photos, while studying graphic design. I want to be a photographer, but I want to encompass all my creativity in with it, that’s why graphic design works so well for me.

I am not just a photographer I am a creative person with lots of skills and passions. I enjoy working with a complete vision not just part of one and not one that’s another person’s dream. It took me a long time to figure this out and a lot of failing along the way. In fact, I’m still failing, but I am learning too and that’s what makes me a skilled photographer and a talented artist!
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How did your journey start in photography or whatever creative field you are in? Origin stories are often the most interesting. Tell me in the comments. I’d love to hear it!