My Background
I get asked all the time how long I've been doing photography and what my credentials are. I totally understand why people ask those questions because today, in Utah, to say that you are a photographer is like being a grain of sand on a beach.
I have been taking pictures ever since I can remember. Growing up my dad was dedicated to photography to the extent that a corner of my grandpa's basement is still painted black from my dad using that as his developing lab. He has all of his own photo developing equipment and everything. From a very young age he instilled in me a passion for artistry and instructed me on the best ways to frame a picture.
My dad taught me how to use an SLR camera while I was still in elementary school. In junior high I was finally given my own Canon SLR. Pictures have always covered my walls and I still have boxes of pictures to scrapbook. In college I took a photography class only to discover that I'm not an abstract type of person and that is what they favor. So, yes I have film experience, and yes I prefer Photoshop. While it is rewarding developing your own prints there's just something more secure about being able to edit your pictures quicker. I got my first digital SLR several years ago and am a self taught Photoshop junkie.
I absolutely LOVE taking pictures of people, and not just for the reasons that you hear of in those cliche statements that I just want to capture the moment. I love capturing the beauty in people's eyes, the structure of their faces and the genuinness of their smiles. I love taking pictures of people as they see themselves or as they are trying to become. Most importantly, I love seeing the looks on people's faces as they look at the pictures and see just how beautiful they really are (cheesey, I know, but true).
I airbrush skin, whiten teeth, nip and tuck some of those not-so-flattering areas, and do all sorts of fun things with colors like vintage, retro, Polaroid, sepia, black and white, etc.
