Practice makes perfect…that’s what they always say. I find it so interesting to look back on my photos and to reflect on how much I have grown as a photographer in the past 5 years. It is extremely humbling because when I look back I think…”WOW, I really did not understand exposure back then, or WHAT what I thinking when I posted this photo?!” It makes me laugh because when I posted those underexposed photos or the ones that make me want to delete the picture immediately and never look back, I remember thinking “This is the best picture I have ever taken!” There is always room to grow. To learn. To try new things. To improve. To create….I can keep the list going.

As artists, because photographers are artists, we find it intimidating for others to judge our work. It is even intimidating to think of my future self reflecting on my current photos. Although it is intimidating, it is also necessary. You grow when you break out of your comfort zone and you learn from your mistakes. I always tell my students at school, who cares if you got the word right…you TRIED! And next time, you will do better because you know what you did wrong.

Meet Karen. She was my adviser when I was a Spanish Education student at NC State. She taught me how to be a Spanish teacher. As I moved on and built my life teaching Spanish and taking photos, Karen and I have become good friends. She also shares my passion for photography. Both of us want to learn and want to grow…so we took this beautiful spring afternoon to go out and take photos. We practiced, changed the way we think about pictures and even tried a few new lenses! We were out there for 3 hours and it felt like 30 minutes! I had the best day ever and I am so thankful to have a friend who is willing to practice with me, to inspire me and to help me grow! So, here we are…practicing shooting in harsh sunlight, trying fun poses and trying to truly capture personality and the essence of who someone is on film. So much fun. 🙂