Hey there, welcome to my new blog! This will be the spot where you’ll find the details behind those beautiful pictures! I’ll tell stories about the couples, what goes into a shoot, and more!
I thought I’d start this blog with a bit of an introduction, especially with WHY I decided to start this photography business in the first place!
A bit (lot) of back story: I graduated from high school in 2014 in Ontario & took two years of photography during my high school days and two years during middle school in Texas. (I get around ;).) In middle school, I won second place in a regional contest and was awarded the photography award when I graduated high school. Honestly, I never thought of photography as a career. Like, at all. Some people mentioned it, but it didn’t feel like a “real” job. It felt like a dream too far from my grasp to even bother reaching for.
So I went to university, like every other eighteen year old feels like they should do. And when that one didn’t work out after a year, I went to Bible college. And then when I went through some crazy and emotional stuff, after a year I moved to South Dakota and went to university there for a year. They were all different majors, some of the schools had MULTIPLE majors! They vary from international development to youth & family ministry to psychology to speech communication and I still think I’m missing some. And those are just the OFFICIAL changes, not to mention all of the ones I thought about!
After that confusion, I just decided that maybe school & I weren’t friends. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I was forcing things to happen, and it was not going well. I had NO idea where I was going, what I wanted to do. NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING. When people would ask me what I wanted to do, what my dreams were, I would say, “Well, I really want to work with people and love them well”. But that’s SO VAGUE. I would just start thinking of the first dream in my head and just spit it out every time I was asked. No seriously. I probably confused so many people. “I want to work with refugees.” “I want to be a therapist.” “I want to work with those with intellectual disabilities.” “I want to be a missionary.” And yeah, you get the point.
It was chaos in my head and in my heart. I felt like an absolute failure. How could I not have a single idea of what to do?
After I moved back from South Dakota to the dear old Ottawa Valley in Ontario to be reunited with my high school sweetheart (cue all of the “awh” back tracks), I felt more pressure than ever. I came back home to where I went to high school after three years and had nothing to show. I was down on myself and just started working full time at a local pharmacy, which definitely WAS NOT my long term plan and I didn’t want to get stuck doing something that I didn’t love just because I couldn’t decide. Biggest fear right there: being stuck. No choice. Cornered.
I tried to think of things that I genuinely loved doing. I loved telling stories and writing. Josh (the high school sweetheart mentioned earlier) started going through old high school english class writings and the feedback all said things like, “Keep writing!” or, “Can’t wait to read more of your work!” But I didn’t want to write for a living. Blogging is fun and I like writing about my faith and my mental health struggles, but that felt more like a way for me to heal and work through my problems. Not a way that I wanted to make an income. But when he pulled out the photography portfolios I had to put together in high school, I was reminded quickly of this thing I loved. That I could tell stories through photography.
It was also around this time that two photographers I follow on Instagram, Lindsey Roman & Evie Rupp, started advertising for an online workshop for entrepreneurs, especially photographers. I followed them because I had a little bit of envy (read: A LOT). They were working hard, but working hard at something they loved! They met people and impacted them, created awesome art, and told people’s stories, all while travelling the globe and loving Jesus. Seriously, my dream.
So I took a scary plunge and purchased the course.
Since then, I’ve photographed every couple that would get in front of my camera. I’ve done in-home family shoots, one-year-old cake smash shoots, boudoir, and so much more. I’ve never felt more comfortable with an idea for my future career before. I have no worries about this going forward. It’s a lot of work to do on top of a full time job, but it has been SO worth it. I have met so many people and been able to show their personalities and love through my camera. And I LOVE that. Each photo shoot is different as I help those in front of the lens show their true selves.
I feel like this is the work I was created to do. I am sure of it. And I could not be more honoured to be invited into each of my client’s lives.
Thank you to each person who has put their trust in me so far. Thank you to each person who has cheered me on. And thank you to each person I have yet to meet. I can’t wait to tell your story too.
What do you feel like you were created to do? I would love to hear about your passions and dreams and where you’re at on that journey!
All my love,
Caroline Dorothy
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