My journey started back in a hospital in Lima, Ohio. Well it did, but I don't think you have THAT much time, so I'll fast forward a bit.
Even as a kid I was always fascinated with photography. Maybe because my dad took so many pictures growing up, and I idolized him. Maybe I was channeling Henri Cartier-Bresson, who knows. What I do know, is that I would see a scene or a subject and imagine what it would look like as a photograph. I didn't really do anything about it until I was 30, when I took my first photography class - and I was hooked.
Now I'd like to say I dove in, became an amazing photographer and followed my passion to work at National Geographic.
My journey did NOT go like that.
At the time, I was working in the healthcare system, and REALLY not enjoying it. It was actually pretty soul-sucking but it paid the bills and I didn't really know what else to do with myself. I changed jobs pretty regularly, trying to find SOMETHING that was fulfilling and inspiring. I got a lot of feedback from folks that "work isn't supposed to be fulfilling…it's work." So I just kept going.
Periodically I would pick up my beloved camera and it brought me such joy. And then I discovered travel. Yes I realize that travel is a well known concept, not something necessarily to be "discovered". But for me it just wasn’t really on my radar. I thought it seemed complicated and uncomfortable to go places where I didn't speak the language. And it is. But travel is also fulfilling, and eye-opening, and transformative. And I love it!
Photography PLUS travel? Oh what a glorious combination!
But the problem was, my photography just wasn't that good. My expectations, however, were quite high. When I arrived home from Japan with hundreds of photos, I couldn't have been more excited to see the amazing results! Uh…why are most of them out of focus?? I was SO disappointed in myself. In my ability as a photographer. Good thing I stayed in healthcare, huh?
Periodically I would put my camera away - as much as I loved it - because I just couldn't figure out how to work together. The technology was holding me back from creating gorgeous photos, and I became frustrated and pretty darn self-critical about the whole thing (that's one of my specialties, just so you know).
The creativity of photography always came naturally to me. And at some point I decided I loved the art of photography enough that I was going to freaking figure out how to master my camera. Oh there were so many classes, workshops, blogs, podcasts, books…but one of the things that truly helped me the most? My husband, Neal. Is he a photographer you ask? No, but he read my camera's instruction manual. AND he encouraged me to experiment with manual mode and try new, scary things, even if I sucked at first. Sure, I'll admit, when he would make ‘suggestions’ it could be infuriating at times. I mean after all, I had been studying photography for years at this point! But what I learned is that I couldn't be a really good photographer until I truly understood how my camera worked…and pushed myself out of my comfort zone.
And to figure that all out, I had to make mistakes. A lot of them.
Once I started to see my photographs improve - even to my hyper-critical eye, it felt good. Really freaking good. And then something amazing happened. Neal and I decided to move to France for a year. My first real trip as an adult had been to Paris. I was completely utterly over-the-moon in love with Paris. And now we were moving to France - Toulouse to be exact. And what was I going to do for a year in France? I was going to be a photographer. And I was going to be a damn good one.
Our journey took us to France, and while we were there we visited England, Austria, Italy, Spain…And I was SO grateful that I could create photographs that would tell our story. I literally did tell our story, creating a book of our blog posts and my photographs, Breath of French Air.
After our year of travel, we had to come back to "real life". We decided on Sacramento, California to restart our American life. Which included a new addition to our family…Maggie, our sweet, fluffy, and slightly crazy dog whom we fell madly in love with.
I would go back to healthcare and Neal back to being an architect. While we enjoyed Sacramento, I did not enjoy my return to the corporate world. My creativity was calling…and so was travel.
And that’s how PhotoFluent was born.
Because not only did I want to make photos and travel, but I really wanted to share all the painstaking discoveries I had made over the past…20 years…(seriously is my math right? OK, 20 years then)
It’s important to me that I share what I learned, and help travelers figure out how to make photos that they will cherish. Without the years of torment and mistakes.
What I know is this…
Photography can unleash your creativity that's buried in there deep, that you don't know even exists.
Cameras and software can be really overwhelming, and cause us to give up on our quest for amazing photos.
Travel can unleash a wanderlust beast that once out, can never be put back.
If you have a camera, and you travel, then you should tell the beautiful, amazing, insightful story that is your adventure whether it be in Morocco, France, or Utah. Trust me, you will be glad you did. Because it gives you the ability to relive those funny, stressful, magnificent moments for the rest of your life. And who knows…maybe you’ll even make a book about it one day.