Why do I do what I do

It's been a long time since I even came over to the blog. I've spent some time re-evaluating myself and my work. And I asked myself the question "Why do I do what I do?" I've spent 4 years struggling to keep a business afloat in a saturated market. So why keep doing it? Because I love it. Because it is a part of me. Whether I am turning a profit or barely breathing it is worth it to me because this is one of my passions. If I could spend my days capturing beautiful images and spending time with my kids and husband I would be the happiest woman on earth. So that's why. That is why I keep plugging away at this even though I have been told that maybe I should turn my attention elsewhere. Where would I turn? What else brings me as much joy? Even if I am having a horrendous day I can pick up my camera and I feel energized. Of course I would love to have enough profit to buy the newest props and a better camera body and newer lenses, but that's not why I do it. This isn't a job. This is life, and me doing my best to capture your life.

Life moves so fast. Our kids and families change so much. Pictures, professionally done or not, freeze moments in time and give us something tangible to help us remember that time in our lives. And in this day when everything can be kept in digital form and even stored outside our homes means we can keep it even if we lose the originals. Isn't that awesome!?

Why is it so important? Sometimes pictures really are all you have left. And through them people can remain in our lives long after they are gone. I always loved photography; it has been a hobby since I first "borrowed" my dad's film SLR when I was 7. I always loved looking back at pictures and hearing stories about what happened that day. The first day I rode a bike, my first day of Kindergarten, the day my parents got married. Pictures open a discussion and evoke emotions. I loved it. But the importance of them didn't hit me fully until I was 25. My husband and I have 6 beautiful daughters. It's a yours-mine-and-ours family. My two oldest are not his. Their father passed away when they were 2 and 1. I was a widow at 25 years old. They don't get to see their dad in person. But they get to know him through stories and photographs. I can tell them what a wonderful man he was, how fun he was, and how much he loved them. But through photographs they get to see it for themselves. No story can replace an image of him holding his newborn daughters or pushing them on the swings. Those girls are 8 and 10 now and they don't remember him, but they do know him, and they daily see reminders of how much he loved them. This is why I do what I do. To give memories a face.