Starting Something New

For many years I have wanted to pursue a career in photography but it just never happened. However, lets rewind to my first job after high school (2001). My older sister had realized that I was unsure what I was going to go after graduating high school.. So she teamed up with my mom and through a phone call ,back and forth, (because she had internet and we did not) she got all the information and filled out an application for a photography job at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Well I went through a phone interview and next thing I knew I was snapping pictures at the front gate of an amusement park. Not the ideal photography job but I did get to take pictures.

For years I was always buying those throw away cameras. Taking pictures of friends and whatever was happening in life. Time passed and I had various jobs. I worked as a bartender, waitress, in customer service for a credit card company, cashier at a home improvement store and then after being married for a year I had my first child. That led to me staying home for 2 years until times got tough. In 2009 I pursued the nursing field as a nursing assistant. After a year of being a nursing assistant I decided to go back to school. I enrolled, and was accepted, to the nursing program at Washington State Community College. While working as an aide at a local nursing home I attended the part-time LPN program and graduated in 2012. During this time my family grew and we had our second child just months after graduating. When I went back to work as an LPN I worked for an at home health care company. During this time my mother became ill and within a short time passed in July of 2013.

My mom was a great influence on my life. Our relationship had its ups and downs. It wasn't always perfect but she was my mom and I know that she never stopped loving me. Like myself she always had a love for photography and the outdoors. She also always wanted me to be able to stay home and raise my children (her grandchildren).

So now to the "starting something new". Last year (2014) I gave birth to my third child. Well now I'm a stay at home mom. My mother would be happy with this decision. My mom wanted to leave me more then just money she also wanted to leave me her camera but I didn't receive it. Her nikon camera was a film slr and with my inheritance I decided to take part of it purchase my first DSLR. So in October I began to set some new goals. I enrolled in the professional photography program through the New York Institute of Photography. So as of today I have 5 months experience with the new technology but years of taking photographs on film, or a cell phone, of friends and family.

Just last month I opened an account through Fine Arts America. This is giving me the option to share my work as I learn and hopefully make some income. I also created a Facebook page www.facebook.com/holdenthemoment back in October when I first decided this is what I wanted. I practice daily, and with each day I can see my photography improve. I sometimes get discouraged by the amount of things that I have yet to learn but I am not letting that stop me. I'm going to do this and I'm going to succeed. I did enjoy caring for people when I was a nurse but I enjoy raising my children more. I plan to take my love for photography and make a career of it. So while I work on completing my course through NYIP I hope to bring in some extra income that will help with the expenses of my future business. As of just yesterday I made my first sale. I plan to have many more because this is the start of something new.