SHP | Photo Journalism

Last month I had he honor of photographing a amazingly wonderful, beautiful, motivating friend of mine named Gemma. Gemma is a women of many talents, she’s a fitness & life coach, business coach, mother of 2, wife, and a women of many great dance moves ( literally ), not to mention her infectious personality just leaves a lasting smile on your face! 

After our photo session was over we sat around and chit chatted about life, and work, goals + dreams, and she gave me the best advice I could have ever asked for. She asked me flat out, “what do you want to do? what do you love to photograph? Is it weddings? Is it Children? Families? what?” 

My response was shocking to myself, not because I was surprised…but because I finally stopped lying to myself about who I am as a photographer. My answer ” families & children”. what’s surprising about that? I thought that’s what you are doing now?? – yes, but also no.

Let me put it this way, in the photography world, not only is there so many others out there doing the same thing, but it’s also always just expected to be good at everything you take pictures of. I thinks it’s super important to be well rounded as a photographer, but I also think it’s important to remember what pushed you to start this documentary journey in the first place. For me it was my son, and my little family. I wanted to be able to document and cherish all of my personal memories for the rest of my life, and also wanted to be able to share my gift with others. What are you getting at? – well, what I’m trying to say is basically I realized that I was trying to push myself to love photographing this, that & the other when in all reality all I wanted to photograph was “this”.

After talking with my dear friend, and hearing from her perspective she basically told me what I’ve been dying to hear ” this is what your good at, and it shows when you do this, this is what your gift is” she basically said to run with my dreams, and focus on that & nothing else.

It has not been very noticeable unless you stalk my website daily, but I’ve made lots of little changes. I have decided to pursue true photo journalism. I will still photograph beautiful couples, and weddings here and there, but all I really thirst for is documenting childhood. I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me! Anyways enough pitter patter, I know you all could probably care less about what I have to say, I get it…I’m a picture person myself – I really do not care for reading unless it’s a recipe, or informative & short haha