As i'm sure most of you know, I have had a passion for photography for quite some time. I'm pretty sure that it's been there for a while, but has just now really become more apparent to me. I say it started when I had Ryder because I didn't want to miss documenting any little thing, but it truly goes way back. I remember being in eight grade and being told we had to make scrap books. We had to make a certain amount of personal pages and a few current events to document our year. My teacher would tell me every time we turned them in how mine was so amazing in comparison to some of the other ones getting turned in. I remember all through high school, and those BMX days in between, always being the one with the disposable camera in my hand wanting to document life every step of the way. I remember back then we didn't just get to tag our friends on Facebook for them to see the pictures, but instead had to promise to get doubles printed to hand out to those you were with. It's funny because my sisters probably don't even know what that means since they just instantly text their friends a picture after it's taken. When I moved into my dorms my freshman year of college my parents got me my first digital camera and printer! You can bet my girlfriends and I had one of the best collage boards ever in our dorm room. I literally would take over a hundred pictures a night out with my friends back in those days, and am so glad I did because I have so many memories to look back on. Once I had kids and knew no matter where we lived someone would be missing out on our babies lives I started up this blog. There are times I don't want to post pictures because I don't have time to edit them and make them look the way I want, but i've learn to just put them up. With kids as on the go as they are they aren't always going to be photo shoot worthy, but it's still documenting that moment with them.
Last winter I took my first leap of faith into the professional world by taking a job with Impressions Photography photographing weddings down in Florida. It was on a whim one day when I thought, "I really need to get a job" and was searching Craigs List. I saw an ad up for a photographer who didn't need experience. They just wanted to see some of my amateur work. I put together a little slide show with some of my work and went in for an interview. The owner, Krista, said she was willing to teach, and she really thought I had the eye to get a great picture. I told her I knew nothing about cameras out of automatic mode and could only slightly edit a picture. She had me tag along with her to a huge wedding that Saturday, and I was SO excited! I was really there to assist her with her bag and equipment, but she gave me a camera during the ceremony and told me to just shoot away. To my surprise the following week she told me she really had no critique in what I was taking pictures of. She said I did amazing work, and just needed to learn the camera. I needed to learn how to take a picture when the situation wasn't ideal to make it look nice to the eye as far as lighting. I spent the next four months going to every wedding I could with her and the other amazing photographer, Tiffany, trying to learn as much as I could in hopes of shooting my own weddings for them come the fall. To my surprise Krista had offered me my own wedding to shoot in June. I was soooo excited about my new job, and could not believe I actually loved working.
Then life got in the way, and we had to move. My part time job obvioulsy didn't take priority at this point in our lives, and I had to sadly quit the job I had just fallen in love with to move out of state. Ever since our move I have spent countless nights searching the internet for more information on photography. I have thrown around so many ideas in my head about what to do with this passion of mine. After thinking long and hard about it, I have decided I really want to try to branch out on my own in the business. I have a long way to go and lots to learn, but feel at this point I can produce photos with enough quality to please my customers. I, of course, have camera equpiment I need to buy, lighting that needs to be purchased, props to really help out with photo shoots, and lots of learning to do, but at the end of the day I have to remind myself... a picture is a picture. As long as a client if receiving a picture that captures their happiness at that moment in their life they will be satisfied. You have to start somewhere right? So for me, it starts now.
I am not sure if it will be successful, but I hope that people will let me photograph their families, newborns, seniors, and everything in between. In less then a month I have the honor of shooting one of my dearest friends weddings down in Florida. I am so excited for this opportunity along with a few others I have coming up. My hope it to start now so by the time my boys are in school full time I can have a small business up and running.
In the mean time, I took a job with Welcome Newborn. They are a newborn photography company who takes pictures of newborns in the hospital. I am absolutely loving this job! I work three days a week, on Derrik's off days, and have had so much fun really getting a feel for photographing newborns. Although the style isn't exactly what I am going for with my own business, it has been a lot of fun getting to shoot these sweet new subjects every week :)
Thank You for listening to me ramble :) I know a lot of people have been asking me what exactly I have going on because they only see bits and pieces. If you know of anyone wanting pictures please send them my way! I had my first little client two weeks ago who was so much fun to photograph, and am really looking forward to more in the future. Anyone in Florida - I will be in town October 11th-23rd. Please check out my facebook page: Facebook.com/DanielleLutzPhotography and follow my work.
