It was January 2010 when I began looking at purchasing a digital camera. I mean,I was still using my Pentax K1000 from high school to take pictures. If you are not sure what kind of camera that is, let's just say it is the simplest manual 35mm film camera out there. I was back in college and money was a bit tight. I couldn't help but stay up late and droll over this particular Nikon DSLR camera. A couple months passed by and I was planning my annual snowboarding trip. But to be honest I kept thinking about that camera. I just couldn't afford to go snowboarding and buy that camera. What is a girl to do?
One night in March after having a few glasses of wine, I made the purchase!! I did it! Hitting "Buy Now" was the most exciting moment I had in awhile. I couldn't believe I did it. Welp, my snowboard trip was officially off. Heck! I knew it was worth it.
When my camera arrived I spent hours taking pictures of flowers, okay weeds that looked like flowers, leaves, swings you name it. I was so overwhelmed with all the features and buttons. Remember, I had old school film camera all these years. Everything on that camera was done manually. There are point and shoots way advanced then my K1000.
So after a few months of shooting the neighborhood kids playing and everything that moved, I finally decided it was time to get clients. I started my Facebook page and offered free sessions. I did contests to gain more followers. I was so happy! After my first paid session (of $25) I made my plan. My 5 year plan. I promised myself that I was going to work as hard as I could. I was going to learn everything I could about photography in the digital world and I would be doing this full time in 5 years. This was of course, my dream. My passion. I even wrote in my Sr. memory book that wanted to be a photographer when I grew up. I was on a mission.
Well time passed and it as around 2012 sometime. I finished school. I was working again. Life was just going. Money was better. Photography was only busy during the holidays. I had a few personal things going on. I remember feeling that my 5 year plan wasn't realistic. I was actively going to Celebrations church at the time. Then Pasto Stoval said something that really sat in my heart. Now forgive me, I don't remember it word for word but he was talking about life goals and plans. He said they were important to have but you cannot be down on your self if your plan doesn't' end or happen when
you want it too. He said that is because it isn't your plan. The plan we have is God's plan for us. We must put it in his hands and when it happens, then it will happen. I knew then that he was right. I can't force my photography to happen in 5 years if it really isn't supposed to. Now I know I still had to work hard for it but sometimes things happen when they are ready. I cried a few times about it. I just had hoped my photography career would be further then where it was that day. But he was right. I had to let go of that magic number and keep moving. So I did.
I guess you can say that motivated me. I purchased some software and spent so many hours learning from Youtube. I still did free sessions here and there just for the practice. Things were picking and I was getting better and more paying clients. By 2013 everything was changing and I had over 700 people on Facebook now. I couldn't believe it. That was also the year I started to date my husband and biggest supporter, Jeremy.
2013 turned out to be a game changer for me. So many amazing things were going on in my life. Dating Jeremy, a great job, my daughter being a patrol and of course my photography business. I was on cloud 9 all the time. I also upgraded my Nikon camera. I could see my work getting better and I was developing my own style. I was gaining more clients too. So anyways, now I am going to jump to 2014. I was layed off my job and then asked to come back doing something else. Something I hated. It was hard to say no but I couldn't be with out a job. I was letereally crying everyday. I practically lived at work. It was horrible. I was sad, I didn't even care about photography at that point let alone doing anything with people. I had a break down and took sometime off. I started to focus on photography again. I started to watch Youtube to learn more about Photoshop. I was starting to feel it(photography) again. My husband was always encouraging me and was the biggest supporter I had. He believed in me. Some days I didn't know why but I loved him for it.
We were now in 2015 and planning our wedding. I was still out of work but ready to go back. But one day we were sitting on the couch and we started talking more about my photography and my goals and plans. I told him how I always wanted to start a photo booth. That is when he said then why don't you? Lets do this. Although the financial part would be hard at first, we decided that I was going to move forward with photography full time. I couldn't have been happier. I finally felt comfortable doing weddings and newborns so this was perfect.
So there I was one night alone watching T.V. thinking about my first Nikon camera and my dreams and it hit me. It has been 5 years!!!! OMG! 5 YEARS! I didn't even see this coming. My eyes filled up with tears and I just ran and hugged Jeremy. He had no clue why I was crying or what was wrong. I kept telling him how happy I was. I thanked him over and over. After I calmed down I of course explained this all to him. How I put it in God's hands and that I knew one day I would be here. However, If it wasn't for the love and support of Jeremy I wouldn't be where I am today. He has been the most encouraging person in my life. He is so positive and has pushed me in ways I didn't know I could go. I am so thankful everyday.
So that is my story on my 5 year plan. I know that there are so many things I want for myself as a photographer. I just know now that I can't put a time limit on it. Weddings will come when it is time. I can't rush God's plan for me. I hope that if you have any goals out there you will take this to heart. If it is for something personal or your business, keep moving. Keep working hard. Focus. Your time will come too.
My daughter in 2010 when I got my first Nikon. :)
