The picture that started it all

Actually it was a picture of beautiful Mt. St. Helens, but it was this picture of Belen Therese that I took when I realized I was on to something.

No one else at the time was doing much natural light photography, following kids around and capturing their sweet moments.

I remember this day so clearly. We were playing outside with "fairy god mothers," holding them up to blow the seeds all over. I thought it would be nice to capture this moment so I ran back inside the house to get my camera. I just followed her around the yard and had to work fast.

My 35 mm was a manual setting camera.

I had a little photography business in Utah for a few years which I started by accident. A friend saw my kids' photos and asked if I could take pictures of her children so I said "sure."

Since I knew how to hand tint also, (labor intensive!) I did that for her as well.

She gave the pictures out to her family for Christmas which her mother framed and hung in her office at work. Her co-workers commented on them and soon I was being asked to take more. Some were brides (a little nerve-racking), a wedding (very nerve-racking) a website (interesting) and a bunch of kids and families (fun).

I never really thought about making it full-time since I had a career that I loved. But the creative side of me, which is most of me, longed to do something like that.

One of my company's clients, with a large marketing firm, gave me some good advice that I locked in the vault in my head.

I valued his opinion; he was the marketing guru to the 2002 Olympics.

So finally, 10 years and 3 more kids later, vault unlocked, I am getting it together.

Stay tuned.

For a few more go here