My family pitched in to gift me my first DSLR. I remember one of the very first picture I took was of my cat, who is sadly no longer with me. When she did pass after 14 and a half years, I remember the very first time I felt grounded about it, was when I printed out a photo of her and got to hold it in my hands. Holding her photo gave me a tangible piece of comfort, and continues to remind me how powerful photography really is.
But in 2019 I took a leap of faith and started my journey. These past six years have been full of appreciation and excitement. Every single time I photograph another couple, my appreciation for what I do grows, and so does how much I value photography overall.
Photography is immortal. Photos are something that you can look at and sit down with your grandparents to hear their stories about the people they've loved, and the adventures they've taken. Photos are the things we have when we lose our loved ones, to remember them for generations to come.
A day where emotions come out, and you get to see a photo of someone crying that you've never seen shed a tear before, because you mean so much to them.
Or a photo with your best friend where you couldn't stop laughing so hard it hurt. For the rest of your life and beyond, these photos will exist.