My heart behind the camera

My family would tell you that young Claire wanted to be a lot of things; a ballerina, horse trainer, professional figure skater, I even wanted to be the first female President until someone shot that dream down (be nice to kids and their dreams people), but one thing I never grew out of was being an artist. 
The hunger to create translates over to many mediums. Eventually my dad noticed I had an eye for art and he showed me his very own digital camera. I had access to a camera and I took pictures of everything! My dad fed the new photography addiction by waking me up at the butt crack of dawn when there was a pretty sunrise.

Summer 2010

The road to professional photography was a long one. I started on a Canon EOS 70D that I purchased with tips by working at thee olde Olive Garden in 2015 (tip your server!). That Christmas my husband bought me a nifty-fifty millimeter portrait lens. That was the first time someone ever made me cry from a gift. It just meant so much to me that my best friend supported my passion. That was a pivotal year for me and photography. I thought hard about my "why". Why do I want to do this professionally? What kind of value does it add?
Honestly, I value people the most. People are the reason I shoot. People give me heart flutters when I catch the perfect shot. I get all giddy when I get to see an individual/individuals in a striking atmosphere come alive before me and magic happens. Being in front of the camera can be a scary thing. I hope to make it more comfortable. I hope to be a non-anxious presence that invites originality and pause-worthy moments.

A fact about my family of origin is that we don't have any photos of us all together. I hope one day it happens but for now I hold on tight to the reality that photos of our people are important. This is my heart behind the camera. 
I hope this reminds you how the simple things are some of the most important aspects of our life.