When I think about where my passion for photography began, it takes me straight back to my childhood. My family’s lifestyle when I was young, played a major role in defining who I am today.

I was the favorite (and only!) daughter of my parents, Kathy and Bill. Dad was a U.S. Marine and I was told from a very young age that my brother Joe, about two years older than me, was my best friend. I truly believed it. Joe and I were the only constant we’d have in our lives, aside from mom and dad. We knew we would move every three years, and change schools and homes even more frequently. This was all normal for me.

My parents did a great job of creating consistency out of all of that change by being amazing parents, doing their best to meet all of our needs and allowing us to explore our interests. And no matter what we were doing or where we were going – my mother would have her camera along for the ride.

She captured, dated, and added descriptions to a plethora of photographs during my childhood. Her meticulous dedication made me appreciate and love photography from a very young age. I still remember feeling the anticipation of getting an envelope of newly developed film and flipping through the pack to find all the photos of myself. Ha!

Having those photos displayed on the walls of our home in small collages and in photo albums felt like a wordless expression from my mother — telling me how much she loved me and her family.

Those times, places, events, and fleeting moments are documented for me to look back on to enjoy. They are truly a gift. My maternal grandmother also enjoyed taking photographs. Even though she tended to crop people’s heads out of most of the photos, her enthusiasm was not diminished. She too was excellent at dating and documenting.

Another inspiration for me as a young child was when I stayed at my Aunt Shelley and Uncle Ben’s house one summer for about a week. Shelley always had many photos of family in small frames on display in her family room. You’d often fine me perusing through them – Grandma, my cousins, wedding photos, my dad, my family, they were all there. One of the images that stands out is one of my cousin Carly on a white background. She has a funny expression on her face with her hair is flying everywhere, it perfectly captured her hilarious personality. I had never seen anything like it. I was used to seeing more formal JCPenney style portraits. I also liked the idea of simple white backgrounds. I went home and tried out the new idea with my best friend LaRae in front of a white sheet with my 35mm point and shoot. I wanted to create photos full of life!

These small events led to a deep seeded love for this amazing art form. The desire to capture and document love, personality and life stories is what drives me still today.