When I was 17 years old I took this photo of my grandmother’s violin. The sunlight that danced over it changed the direction of my life – that’s when my passion was realized.
She passed away two years prior and her loss had a profound effect on the dynamics of my family. This violin was willed to my mother and for two years it simply sat in its case in the family room. Summer, 2004, would be my final year of 4H. I had submitted photography every year prior but that year left me with a desire for something other than a snapshot of an amazing country sunset or a beautiful rose in full bloom.
One afternoon, I returned home from school excited to watch Total Request Live on MTV as per usual, but instead, I noticed how the sunlight danced on the living room floor through the trees outside. I loved it. And immediately, without knowing how or why, that photo came to life in my mind. It was a quick rush to set the scene and capture the photo. My adrenaline was pumping, it pulsed through me like electricity. And just moments after snapping my last shot, the light was gone. Crouching on my knees, in the middle of the floor, my heart felt ecstatic.
That moment is as vivid in my mind today as it was then. Only, at that time, I didn’t know what I know now. Photography is the capture of light. Up until that sunny weekday afternoon, I thought I wanted to pursue musical theatre as a career. Not because my heart felt alive when I sang and danced in show choir, but because it was fun and entertaining. After that sunny afternoon, I realized my calling was not to perform in front of the camera, but rather to own the camera and work with it as a partner in passion.
After high school I went to college and obtained degrees in Advertising Art and Fine Art Photography. The first was my fall-back option, I’d make money doing graphic design until I could afford to pursue my photography passion full-time. During Art School I absorbed everything I could about photography: the history, the artists who came before me, the darkroom processes, how to stand in pitch black darkness to develop a roll of film that I was so eager to see the outcome of. Everything about photography gets me excited. I geek out at the smell of developing chemicals. The sound of a film camera shutter closing makes me sigh. Setting a scene requires time and purpose, something the OCD side of me absolutely adores.
I am a hybrid photographer – combining both film and digital. Regardless of format, in my mind I always shoot like I’m using film. I pose purposefully, I meter light, I never take a shot just for the sake of shooting, and I often don’t look at the back of the camera – because if I’ve done my job correctly, the image is captured well every time. This is an art, and I treat it as such.
Photography is more than just a hobby for me. It is my passion. A hobby is something one does outside of their career for fun and relaxation. A passion is something that provides drive and determination, a willingness to fight to make a living. My photography passion is what gets me excited to wake up in the morning and what keeps me looking forward to tomorrow.
So let’s talk. If you value photography as an artform and take into consideration the talent and passion I have for it, then we could be a perfect match. I hope to capture your life’s light soon!
Wondering what the name Poppie Studios means? Red poppies symbolize remembrance. I will capture the most precious moments of your life so that you will forever remember them exactly as they were: beautiful, magical, unforgettable… just like red poppies.