As I sat down to blog this morning…. I found myself without anything super exciting to say… except that the wedding I shot on Sunday with Amanda Patrice left me utterly inspired and full. If you ever get the opportunity to spend a few nights in a hotel… choose Hotel Maya. It has gone down, in my book, as one of the coolest hotels I’ve ever been to. Here’s just a sneak peek of all the deliciousness my camera ate up…. more to come later in the week!

(Disclaimer:) I’ll be the first to say it. I have a “lovehate” relationship with FAQ blog posts. They’re so helpful and oftentimes, they have gems of advice that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to get from photographers I admire. I’m also kind of skeptical of FAQ posts by photographers who’ve only been in the business a few years (–> don’t worry… my own finger is pointed at my face.)

With that said, I’m going to answer some FAQ’s…. not because I’m a know-it-all…. nor do I feel like I’m qualified to be a role model and answer questions. Most of the time, I feel like y’all are on crack for thinking I’m an inspiration…. but I thank you, from the bottom of my heart and back, for thinking that and encouraging me.

I’m doing this because I want you to know that I’m just like you. Human. I make mistakes. I came from nothing. I started with nothing. I still have a LOOOOONG way to go. So here goes nothing… and please let me know if this helps you at all… I sincerely hope it does.

Did you always want to be a wedding photographer?

No. In fact, my whole life, I swore I would never be an artist for a profession. I fought it. I never took art classes, except for ceramics in High School. And I went to college to be a surgeon… I made that decision before Grey’s Anatomy… thank you very much! I absolutely loved science. And I had everything I needed to be on track for medical school…. my EMT license, I taught Health and Safety courses for Red Cross, I had been a lifeguard since I was 15.5 years old, I was a Biology major, I was a student at Whitworth University, and before I left, I was going to be working in the Health Center as a Nurse’s Aid. But my course changed as I made the decision to take a year off and do international missions with an organization called Youth With A Mission. You can read about my adventures as a missionary here.

My love for weddings (and love itself) has always been prevalent, and while I never considered it a “passion” until about 5 years ago, I’ve been a secret wedding photography junkie for as long as I can remember. Weddings have captivated my heart… and even though I see many more weddings now that it’s my job, I still get butterflies and tears watching the grooms face as he sees his bride for the first time walking down the aisle! (ask Christopher… I cry at every single wedding at some point during the day… it’s bad.) While, for most of my life, the possibility of actually BEING a wedding photographer never crossed my mind, I would be lying if I said I didn’t day dream about it once or twice….

It’s been a long and growing journey since I was a pre-medical student… and if you want to hear the full story, hit me up for a coffee date sometime and I’ll tell you the whole story. But…. long story short, I came back from my mission trip with the impression that the Lord was asking me to start a business in wedding photography. I fought it. Hard. It scared me more than anything.

So NO. I didn’t always want to be a wedding photographer. But I’m so glad I took that leap of faith and went for it.

What steps did you take to get where you are today?

Well, I started with absolutely nothing…. maybe $200 to my name. I had come back from my missionary adventure and had spent almost every penny on funding that. I was paying back student loans from college still, I had miscellaneous bills to pay and absolutely no income. And it was then that I felt God was asking me to start the process of becoming a professional wedding photographer. I know. Crazy. I didn’t think I was good enough. I had no clue about taxes and licenses. I had no clue how to even get clients…. or make a website…. or use any other photo processing software besides Picasa. And… I had no job.

But here’s where the important part is. I thought I was crazy for thinking God was asking me to do something that seemed so far away and impossible. But I keep getting the same impression over and over and over….. until finally I told God, “OKAY FINE!!!! YOU WANT ME TO WALK ON WATER??!!! FINE!!! But you’re going to have to give me better equipment, the best computer, the best processing software, the best possible website that fits me and my lack of HTML/Flash knowledge, experience, and CLIENTS!!! I have NO stinkin’ idea how to do any of this!!!” After that little outburst into my journal… I thought, ” Ha! That’ll show God. He’s totally off His rocker to think this can happen!”

6 months later I had a D300, the best computer, the best post-processing software, a Showit site (which requires little to no HTML/Flash knowledge), and I shot more weddings, couples, and portraits than I ever thought I could. I looked back at the end of 2008 with eyes wide open.

It’s nuts. Everything I have, and everything I have done is ONLY because of Him. Without His eyes, I wouldn’t be able to see things through my lens the way I do. Without his grace and strength, I wouldn’t have even given this dream of mine a second thought for fear it would only lead to failure. And without his providence, I literally would have NOTHING.

Now, you’re probably thinking, “Great. This happened for her, but what about me?” The best encouragement I have for you is to trust that the God of this universe is bigger and more powerful than you could ever comprehend. We have a GOOD God… one who created us to create, to have dreams, and to live out those dreams in relationship with Him. Who better to surrender your life to than the one who created you and your dreams in the first place?

So to put my answer in “every man” terms, I just went for it even though I knew nothing…. and I continue to go for it (even when I still feel like I know nothing)… because I still haven’t “made it.” I hope I never get to the point where I think I’ve “made it” because I’ll have lost what I came to do in the first place. Life’s not about “making it.” Even those few who have all the money and power in the world never feel like they’ve “made it”… because success isn’t measured in dollars or fans…. it’s measured in His warm bear hug and the words, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” Success is successfully glorifying and magnifying the goodness and love of Christ in whatever you do.

Did you study under anyone? Did you have any mentors?

I wish someone had taken me under their wing and taught me everything they know out of the goodness of their heart…. I wish that almost every other day. But I know that I’m walking the journey I am for a reason. Sometimes when you study and learn under someone who’s already established, you take on some of “them” into your business. Sometimes that’s the best gift you can get. Other times, it’s a crutch that keeps you from finding the “you” in your business and art. It’s really easy to adopt what others do because it works…. it’s not so easy to play the trial and error game and figure out what works for You. Again, sometimes it’s the best gift someone can give you… but taking all you learn from them and fitting it around who you are takes a lot of conscious assessment.

I’ve had many friends who’ve allowed me to shoot with them and they have been SO helpful in teaching me tidbits here and there. I’ve truly LOVED shooting with others, learning and teaching each other as we go, and keeping each other accountable to the standards and goals we’ve set for ourselves. I plan on doing that as long as I can! To name a few… Jack Ratana has been one of the most encouraging and fun people I’ve met in the industry. Our faith in Jesus Christ has been the anchor point in friendship, and more than we are colleagues, we’re friends with similar interests. Another friend of mine, Amanda Patrice, has been another huge encouragement and she’s vapor inspiration for me. I can spend just a little time with her and I feel SO inspired and rejuvenated to keep pushing hard for my dreams and goals.  Love that girl and looking forward to helping each other out with our weddings later this summer.

So did I study under anyone? No. Did I miss out on a better or easier way of building my business? … I’m not sure. Would I chose to do it differently if I could do it all over again?  … Somedays, yes… Somedays, no. Work with what you have, whether you have a mentor or not, and fit the knowledge you learn around who you are.

Canon or Nikon?

Nikon. I grew up with my Dad shooting Nikon film and when I bought my first camera, I chose Nikon because I had all the lenses I needed… they’re old, but trusty…. and I still use a lot of them. And really…. really really truly honestly… it doesn’t matter what brand you use… it matters what you do with what you got. Just because you have the most expensive equipment doesn’t mean you know how to use it to effectively make great pictures.

Okay that’s enough for now. If you have more questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comment box before and I’ll try to answer them the next time around. Hopefully my answers were encouraging I’d love to hear from you if they were. Remember, I don’t know everything…. or even a whole lot for that matter, but I’m grateful for those of you who want to connect and figure out the answers together… because really, asking questions and finding answers together is what makes life so wonderful sometimes.

And to complete this post… here’s some fun shots I took when I visited my friend and fellow photographer Betsy Lackey in Lubbock, TX last month… we did some computer work at Sugar Brown’s Coffee… and I took these on a quick break…

Harry Potter Jargon and loooots of pictures to follow… beware…

It was back in December 2009 when Christopher and I sat down one night to watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first of the very popular children’s series. As the plot began to unfold, Harry Potter experienced Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for the very first time. Christopher turned to me and said, ” I want to go to Hogwarts SOOOO BAAAAADD!” I laughed at his child-like candor… and then the creative bug bite me…. How could I recreate Hogwarts for Chris? Is there a way to incorporate a birthday into the Hogwarts experience? Where do I get an owl? Can Muggles even have a magical party? Chris is turning 25 next year… I wonder if it could be a surprise party?…. and it went on… and on… and on… until April rolled around and I found myself immersed in creating the magical world of Harry Potter. For all you blog readers, you probably only noticed the fact that I was not blogging as much as usual…. and for friends, family, and Christopher, you probably only noticed that I was a little distant. For 4 months I planned…. and on April 17th, I pulled it off with the help of friends and family.

Here’s how the whole plot unfolds….

Christopher was taken out for a “Man-Date” by his friends Jason and Trevor. They shot guns at a shooting range, ate some ice cream…. and as Trevor distracted him with tantalizing conversation about cars… Jason made a beeline for the Irvine Train station. There, he confusedly followed Jason and Trevor to the station platform…. Platform 9 3/4 to be exact… and Christopher found 3 things out of the ordinary. The first being a handful of his friends waiting for the train… the second being a big green trunk in the middle of the walkway…. and the third being a letter addressed to him.

He opened it to find that he had been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Aw… look at him! He’s still sooo excited, he can’t stop reading his acceptance letter!

The Train, Hogwarts Express to be exact, arrived and they all excitedly got on and traveled about 15 minutes to Hogsmeade (Santa Ana Train Station) where they were escorted to Hogwarts in carriages drawn by invisible Thestrals (cars). This shot, by Rita Skeeter (Amanda Patrice) is my absolute favorite from the evening… I love how it totally captures his anticipation and curiosity….

All the first year students….

The carriages left them at the front entrance of the castle… and who should appear, but Dumbledore’s assistant… ME! I led them into the great hall after giving them a quick pep talk…. and they were brought in to take part in the sorting ceremony in front of the rest of the school.

The great hall was decorated in its usual splendor… sporting banners from every house, an enchanted ceiling that was the exact visual of what the outside sky looked like…. and candles silently floated overhead.

The tables were set with the finest gold plates, goblets, and silverware there ever was… and each place setting had a unique class schedule, some Berty Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, a chocolate frog, a quill for writing, and a single sheet of parchment.

Candles, white flowers, and peacock feathers adorned the tables along with some vintage style jars and vases….

Even Hedwig, the owl, decided the party was worth attending… (and yes… it’s a real owl)

As the first year students lined up, the sorting hat (my dad) sang the annual Sorting Hat Song and each student placed it on their heads to be sorted into their houses.

Here’s what the backs of all the Sorting Cards looked like…

Christopher was more than happy to be sorted into Gryffindor…. the house he had told his classmates he hoped to be in.

Dumbledore gave his beginning of the year welcome speech and the students were dismissed to their classes. Yes, I said classes. Each house had a different schedule and they were to report to each of their classes together as a house.

And here’s what all the class schedules looked like….

Potions was taught by Professor Severus Snape (Trevor Clinard) in the Dungeon, where the classes learned about and mixed their own potions. I believe a love potion was being tested on…

Care of Magical Creatures was taught next to the Whomping Willow by a friend of Hagrid’s, Professor Ninnymuggins (Jeff Clinard) , who was joined by none other than Sirius Black himself. Together, the professor and Sirius Black taught about unicorns, hippogriffs, dragons, and phoenix’s. I even heard rumors of a real dragon’s egg being used as well! I also heard that Christopher does a very good impression of a Hippogriff…

Herbology was taught in the greenhouse by Professor Pomona Sprout (my mom)… and in Herbology, they learned all about growing magical plants (cilantro, basil, and poppy plants), their uses in the Wizarding world, and how Dragon poop acts as the best kind of fertilizer there is. Students were allowed to take home their newly potted plants.

Transfiguration was taught by the formidable Professor Minerva McGonagall (my Aunt Karen) in a classroom. She taught on the art of changing one thing into another…. and each house was required to take turns transfiguring play dough into different objects.

Lastly, Muggle Studies was taught in the Room of Requirement by Professor Hermione Granger (my sister Melissa), who was standing in for Arthur Weasley. Professor Granger taught on the possible uses for Muggle objects and why they were unnecessary in the wizarding world. Here are some of the Muggle Objects used in the class…

Oh! And I musn’t forget to mention that the houses were competing for the House Cup throughout the night. So as they went through classes, they were given opportunities to win points for their house, and answer extra credit questions for extra points. Aaaand…. in the middle of the 1st class…. 2 of the school’s  Snitches got out of the Quiddich equipment when Filch was cleaning it…. so the houses were set loose to find them…. each 150 points to the house that found it.

Chris’ family came down from Norcal to surprise him… he was so excited they were there!!!

Here’s the House of Gryffindor…

The House of Ravenclaw…

The House of Slytherin…

And the House of Hufflepuff….

As classes drew to a close, the sun began to set to the west and the enchanted ceiling glowed beautifully in the twilight…

Food was served by two of Hogwarts finest House Elves (Penny Steele and Sheena Halim-Machmur)…. and the winner of the House Cup was announced! I believe Slytherin was the winner….

Cupcakes were served…

And as the birthday boy tried to give his birthday speech…. he found himself speechless… wordless… and utterly blessed.

Many Many Many thanks go to all those in attendance… Thank you so much for making Christopher’s 25th Birthday one to cherish forever! Your presence and participation meant the world to him… THANK YOU! Here’s some more shots from the party…

I think he liked the party…

A special shout out goes to Amanda Patrice, who volunteered to be the party photographer…. Amanda… you saved me. Thank you so much for all these beautiful pictures! I couldn’t have done this without you! And a BIG thanks goes to Trevor and Holly Clinard for volunteering their fab home for the party! Your hospitality was VERY appreciated…. I’m honored to call you two friends!

Happy 25th Birthday Christopher… you are loved by so many people! I pray this 25th year of your life will become just as surprising and adventurous as this party was!

2009 was a spectacular year for documenting the lives of my clients…. but it was horrible year documenting my own life. It’s a new thing for me to find myself tangled up in work so often that I don’t have time to enjoy documenting my own life and the people I love. I always thought people who worked too much were wierd… and now I find myself one of those people. Embarrassing. Sad. I know.

So I wanted to share this small glimpse of my life…. and business in 2009. I’m enlisting you blog readers to keep me accountable this year… to take more time to document my life…. and hopefully live a richer and less stressed out 2010. Okay? How does that sound? Can you do it? Maybe I’ll post more blogs in the “My Life” section this year…

Here’s some sweet shots my friend Amanda Patrice shot of me at a wedding in November…

In July, my best friend Cricket and I took an impromptu weekend trip to Vegas to soak up some hot sun, and see a Cirque du Soliel show. Here’s a few shots from that trip… compliments of Cricket’s Canon Powershot Point and Shoot…

These 4 shots are from a trip I took to Brentwood and San Francisco in April of this year with Christopher to visit his family…. so fun. Compliments of Christopher’s Olympus Point and Shoot camera…

The shot on the left is from a random impromptu trip to Disneyland with Christopher… and the shot on the right is from Multinomah Falls in Portland Oregon in August of this year (compliments of Christopher’s Olympus Point and Shoot Camera) …. I look super tired because I had swine flu at the time… Don’t worry… I don’t have it anymore

In March, my other best friend Betsy came to visit and shoot a wedding with me. She took this shot of me at the rehearsal testing the lighting in the sanctuary….

Betsy’s trip to California wouldn’t have been complete without a trip to the beach! I love the shot on the left… it’s me and Christopher playing in the waves…. and the shot on the right is of me and Betsy… <3

These last two images are some of my favorite random shots I found in my archives. Christopher took these of me during a portrait shoot in October. I love that he’s getting to be an awesome photographer… maybe we’ll team up permanently

One of my goals for 2010 is to be better about documenting my life. I love my job so much that sometimes it’s hard to remember to take a step back and document non-work related people and adventures. I can’t wait to get better at this!!!