the starting of a new season

My journal has been left to collect dust, and this little blog has been brushed into the corner, hidden beneath a to-do list that seems to have no end. I've had more people than I can count in front of my camera as of late, but rarely has it been picked up to capture the beauty of daily life.

These past few months have been full of learning and growing. Starting a portrait photography business has pushed me outside my comfort zone in more ways than I can count. It's been extremely difficult at times, yet I love it. I love telling people's stories and capturing the unique personality of each person I have the honor of photographing. But I've also realized that somewhere along the way I've neglected to do many of the other things that I love doing - things that put a smile on my face. Writing, blogging, capturing the beauty of daily life, and telling stories.

I don't want to limit my photography to portraits, but also use my camera to share stories of a different kind. I long to tell compelling stories - ones that grab people's hearts and challenge them to take action. They say that "a picture is worth a thousand words", which is quite true, but I also believe that photography and writing can go hand in hand, complementing each other to tell powerful stories. Stories of redemption, love, and God's power - spreading hope. Stories of real people, facing real circumstances - raising awareness. I love putting words together, and although my writing may be a bit rusty from lack of use as of late, it's still a passion of mine.

So I'm blowing the dust from the journal, picking up a pen and starting to write again.
I'm getting behind the camera and shooting to capture those little moments.
I'm going to begin gathering the needed tools for telling compelling stories.

And in it's own way - it's like a breath of fresh air.

Stay tuned, because more than likely, this new season is going to bring a few changes around here as well! I'm not yet sure exactly how this will look, or when it will happen - but I'm excited about the possibilities...