Do you ever stop and think about where you are right now, in this moment, and wonder how you got here? What people are with you in this moment, what their role is in your life, and if you would be somewhere completely different had you never met them? This is a current thought of mine, as I currently sit in a hotel a state away after a long day of driving and think about why I’m here.
I am sitting here waiting on my friend to arrive because tomorrow we are shooting a wedding together. I am her second shooter and earlier this year (and last year), she was my second shooter. This friend is a girl who I met three years ago when I first started shooting boudoir. When I realized I wanted to get serious about it, another local photographer, Heather Smith, and I set up a shootout and invited past clients to have a mini shoot and off those shoots we would build our portfolios. A soon-t0-be wedding client of Heathers, named Lindsey, drove three hours that day for her mini shoot with us. She was a little quirky (like me), a country girl with an artistic side (like me), and I knew we’d end up friends (or at least hoped). She expressed an interest in photography and that helped blossom our friendship (I love friending and networking with other photographers) and I have since photographed her a couple more times.
Three years later and we’re sharing a hotel room together, but neither of us are the subject this time. We are working side by side to capture someone’s special day tomorrow. I decided last year when my anxiety had reached it’s boiling point that I no longer wanted to shoot weddings. The pressure made my stomach turn flips for weeks leading up to the big day, but Lindsey had other ideas. She mentioned us working together, shooting with each other and helping each other to elevate some of the pressure. She was such a cheerleader when I needed it most and I told her that I would give it another go. If she promised to stand beside me and hold my hand (or just my camera), I’d move forward with shooting weddings. I’m so glad I decided to trust in her. I really believe we are the perfect team, as her photography is more photojournalistic and documentary where mine is more posed and…glam? I feel like this is particularly a good match at weddings because not only are we capturing the posed photos (with a little flare, because you know me), but Lindsey is also working her magic on the sidelines and catching all of the moments you don’t even realize are happening.
There’s no place I’d rather be tonight than sitting in this hotel room, comforting Lindsey because of the chance of rain tomorrow, and being her cheerleader. I’m so grateful, once again, for where boudoir has brought me. If not for that day where Lindsey drove three hours to let us take her photo for her soon to be husband, I never would have made a dear friend and I would not get to look at this beautiful site tomorrow on the happiest day of a bride and groom’s life.
I snuck out to the location this evening after unpacking and snapped these shots on my phone. I love where I am in this moment.
Growing up on a farm helped me to learn to love (humanely raised) meat, along with most all fruits, and veggies. I have never been a picky eater and will try most anything once if it sounds, looks, or smells good enough. I now love scoping out new recipes and pinning them on my board on Pinterest, lovingly called “
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