How I Became A Photographer

My first career was in music. I studied classical and jazz performance at Mansfield university, and have been performing as a professional since 2003. In 2007 I started working in the cruise ship industry as a jazz musician, and that’s when I began some serious dabbling with photography. I found that as the ship pulled into a new port I would be more excited to get my camera out of the case than I was to get the saxophone out for the show at night. That’s when I knew it was time to make a change.

I went back to school for a master’s degree as an Education Specialist with a focus on music. After 2 years in the education world, I knew that wasn’t for me either, so I began planning the launch of my photography studio. In 2010 I opened my doors for business (out of my home), and in 2013 I opened a retail studio in the business district of town.

I find that my career as a jazz performer translates seamlessly to life as a photographer. There is a necessity to understand your equipment, which takes time and practice, but the real art happens when I’m thrown into a new scenario and it becomes time to improvise. That’s what I love so much about photography and Jazz – improvising to create something amazing. The best part about photography is that my creations become a visual part of history – where as a jazz gig only lasts a few hours. With jazz, unless the gig was professionally recorded, those sounds are lost in time and all that remains are memories of the experience.

To top everything off, I am back to enjoying music again. I went through a creative block for a little while - it was as if working for a company and performing only what I was paid to do ruined the best parts of music for me. Now I generate income by creating unique images of my own personal taste for clients, and I teach music lessons on the side because I love it. I also perform on a regular basis, and have taken on a recording project. I have pulled out all the creative stops, and couldn't be happier with my career path!

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