I’ve been struggling with an identity crisis lately. With April and May weddings and sessions getting postponed due to COVID-19, I’d gone longer than I’d like to admit without having a camera in my hand. How can I call myself a photographer if I’m not taking pictures? I needed to figure out how to keep creating.
This thought caused me to pause and reflect back on an earlier time before I had client work — a time where I shot for myself and created whatever I wanted. This is where it all started — my love for photography. Since I was desperately craving a creative project, I tuned into this mindset and recruited some help for this latest shoot.
My favorite shoots are in less-than-ideal conditions. I love to shoot in the rain and get creative with light sources. These situations push my boundaries, requiring me to think differently to frame a shot and use my camera in new ways to get an effect I’m going for.
Ultimately, I pulled these elements together to create my own project. It took nothing more than nightfall, some car headlights, my childhood driveway and two family members to keep creating.
My husband Matt and me
My brother ThomasThis project brought me so much joy and it was so simple to create. It also brought me back to my identity — a photographer. We’ve all lost a lot during this quarantine, but please don’t lose sight of yourself. Do whatever it takes to remind yourself of your purpose, your passion, your hobbies, etc. We’re all going to come out of this stronger, but it’ll take some work now. Work with what you’ve got to keep creating.
Let’s do what we love
And do a lot of it
