Hello, hello, hello. You have stumbled across my very first blog post! Welcome :) This post will dive into a little bit about my photography background, why I started taking photos, and a summary of the journey I have been taking since January 2022 for my photography business. Hope you enjoy and follow along for future blog posts and website updates!
As a kid growing up in Arizona, there were two things I loved: taking pictures and being the center of attention and having my pictures taken. My mom equipped me with a disposable camera for every beach trip to Texas, summer camp session, and sleepover. My favorite part about using one was the mystery of how the photos would turn out; granted, back then, most of the time, they were blurry, had poor lighting, or were just pictures of the ground and trees. I've kept those photos in shoe boxes in my closet over the years for a small reminder of where it all started- my love for taking pictures.
Flash forward a few years, and I finally saved up enough money from my serving job and purchased my first camera in my sophomore year of college. I switched my major to public relations that semester and took classes that involved content creation, marketing strategies, and advertising for businesses. I used my camera to film short videos, take mock product photos, and create portfolios for small businesses. I took my camera to Europe on my summer study abroad trip and captured photographs from London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris. I emerged myself in the beauty and culture each country had to offer. I graduated from Texas State University *cough* EAT 'EM UP, CATS *cough* and continued to take photos for a few of my friends' graduation announcements and traveling.
This is the part that gets a little sad and hard to write. In March 2021- I was living at home in Houston, working at a restaurant- my mom called me on a Friday morning and told me that my Uncle Joe had passed away. My world stopped spinning. From a very young age, my uncle was always my father figure. Whenever he was in town, he came to my softball games and asked me about my hobbies in school. He would help me with my math problems, let me swim in his pool almost every weekend in the summer, and most importantly, he constantly pushed me to keep reaching my full potential. When we lived in Arizona, my uncle and cousins were my only family. He instilled a mantra between us that the most important thing in this world is family, which to this day is one of my most important values. In college, he would call every birthday during finals week, and at the end of every conversation, he would say, "Get back to the books, study hard, " which translates to the Uncle Joe "I love you."
Since his passing, I got a corporate job ending my eight-year serving career *woot woot*, adopted a little lab named Staci, and moved to Austin, Texas, where the story of Candid Bliss starts. In October of 2021, my best friend Jordan asked me to help plan a wedding shower for her friend who was getting married, whom she was a bridesmaid for. I helped her plan and set up the games, food, and decorations, and on the day of the shower, I brought my camera to take pictures of everything. The bride asked if I could take photos of her and her fiancé in the trees for a couple of fun couple pictures. I was reluctant because I had little experience taking portrait photos, but she told me it was just for fun.
After getting home and sending her the pictures, she asked if I would take her WEDDING photos. Like are you joking? I haven't picked up my camera in months, let alone have a portfolio that would represent my capability of taking wedding photos. She was not joking; she was getting married in March 2022 and wanted me to take her pictures. I sat on the idea for about a month and asked my friends and family their opinions. I was scared to start. I filled my head with questions of doubt but something deep down still kept telling me to "just go for it, see what happens." I ultimately decided to "trust my gut" *literally* and do it, which was the moment of the birth of where I am today.
In early 2022 I asked a few of my coworkers and friends if I could take pictures of them to start practicing and build a portfolio. I chose different locations in Austin to practice with various camera settings and framing in different environments. I loved the nature of the sessions; I would have a list of pictures I would pose to try to capture, and then I would have the couple just relax and talk to each other. Those candid moments became works of art to me. They were genuine and authentic. They were unstaged and captured the true emotion of the chemistry between the couples. I decided that would be the mission of each photo session I booked. I would catch the true emotion and happiness between the couple, which is how I decided on the name Candid Bliss- unposed, authentic happiness.
This brings me to this special session I will now highlight- Sophie and Cameron's maternity shoot. We hiked up to the 360 Overlook over Pennybacker Bridge at 6:45 A.M. on a Saturday in June. The goal was to capture the couple celebrating the excitement of their newborn while also creating artful photos of the sunrise and scenery of the hillside. The gorgeous orange sky complimented the view, and we took some of my favorite pictures of all time. After I went home, I edited them, cried because of how beautiful they were, and then sent them to her sister, who would make a photo book for them as a gift.
You may be thinking- "Okay, great, the pictures turned out good... so why is this session so important to you?" Let me tell you :)
Since my uncle's passing, I often see red cardinals around, and there's a saying that red cardinals represent your guardian angels. So, when I see one, I usually feel at peace because I know my guardian angel, Uncle Joe, is watching over me. As I was going through these photos, one, in particular, brought me to tears.
I was looking at this photo on my phone and noticed a red blur in the back of the trees. My mind immediately ran to Uncle Joe and how he is still watching over me, supporting me from afar, but always still here. To me, this just proves that his love and support is still always with me, and somehow, someway, he's making sure to keep pushing me to my potential. This photo and that moment made me feel like I am in the right place, doing the right thing, pursuing the thing I love. I felt a sense of peace that I had been craving, and it encouraged me to share that moment with you.
I am thrilled with every opportunity to meet new people, capture their stories and create works of art with them.
And that is where I am today. I have so many ideas for growth and if you have stuck around to read this far, thank you for being a part of my journey. I honestly could not have done any of this without every single one of you and your support. I can't wait to keep the passion burning and continue to chase and accomplish my goals.
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