When we take photos, we can never know what impact those photos will have. What emotions those photos will invoke. The best I could hope for would be to capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment, to be treasured for years to come. Photos that could be passed down from generation to generation. To be picked up decades down the road and looked at with fond memories of happy times. But sometimes, the opposite can happen.
A few weeks ago, this family did a photo session with me to celebrate the announcement of their second child. She was ten weeks pregnant and nearly ready to share their excitement with friends and family. She ordered prints and started making announcement cards. Unfortunately, they lost the baby. So now these photos, that were supposed to represent happiness, changed to sorrow within such a short amount of time.
So what does this mean for the photographs? Should we delete them from my hard drive? Burn all the prints? Or should she keep them as a reminder of grief? Instead, they took the small prints and attached them to blue balloons. They invited their friends to join them as they released the balloons and share in their experience.
Even though I
would never want my photos to make anyone sad, I'm proud that they mean
something. They can mean grief and sorrow, or hope and appreciation for
what we have.
Photography did more than change my life; it saved my life. Five years ago, I was miserably depressed, in a failing marriage, with nothing (I felt) to live for. Not that I wanted to die, but I led a miserable life with no passion.
I was working as a government contractor, and although my husband and I made around $150,000 per year, it was the most miserable job I ever had. I worked with conservative pilots that believed men should not marry other men, and that women would never be as effective in my career field. In my case, they were right, because I gained no pleasure from watching terrorists die everyday from the video feed of a military drone. I truly felt that I was selling my soul. Sound depressing? It gets worse. Our home was broken into multiple times, there was a huge drug problem in that city, and my husband and friends were just as miserable as me. To make matters worse, I drank to forget about the pit I was forced to live and work in everyday.
So one day (quite literally), I hit my breaking point. I quit my job, sold all my possessions, and ran away. I wanted to go somewhere that had more energy, more creativity, and wasn't in California. Las Vegas was home to some friends that told me if would be good for an artist like me. I shot film photography in high school, and really wanted to get back into it (as a hobby if nothing else). I strongly felt that my misery stemmed from a lack of passion in my life. I didn't create anything. I didn't have an outlet.
Now, I know that photography is what I was supposed to be doing all along. I needed a career that kept me interested, and we all know that photographers are never done learning and growing. I need to make my world better with my art. It has truly made me a better, happier person.
Some photographers dread editing, but I love it. When I have a successful photo session, I can't wait to come home, grab a glass of wine, and really get to work. Lately, however, photo editing has been a logistical challenge for me. We are in the middle of moving, and my precious iMac now lives on the floor, instead of being mounted to the wall. So, I lay on the floor, usually with my dog to my right and my cat to my left. It could be a lot worse, but I am looking forward to being able to unpack in our new home.
I use several different kinds of photo-editing software, based on what I am doing. If it's just basic editing, I tend to use Apple's Aperture program. This is also where I keep my library of photos. Apple recently decided to stop updating Aperture though, so I will eventually have to move over to Adobe Lightroom. As far as I know, the two are pretty similar. I am slowing starting that transition now, but it will probably be another year before I have completely switched over. Of course, I also use Adobe Photoshop when I need to do "deep surgery" as I call it. But that's usually only about 10% of the time.
So there you have it. My workflow.
I wish that Las Vegas had more camera stores, because I am usually forced to buy my gear online. This week, we were asked to take a photo of ourselves in a camera store. I chose Target (I know...boring). However, it got me thinking: what are the best camera shops in town? Here's what I found after a little research as well as personal experience:
B&C Camera:
4511 W Sahara Ave
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 871-1100
1550 E Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas, NV
(702) 736-0890
https://store.bandccamera.com/
I have ventured to B&C Camera a few times and appreciated them, but wished they were a little closer. From my experience, these guys are great with camera repair. They are very knowledgable and helpful. HOWEVER, they are a bit overpriced. I don't usually buy lenses from them. They do offer classes and workshops though.
Fry's Electronics:
6845 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89115
Phone number(702) 932-1400
I refuse to go here. They never have what I want, their customer service is terrible, and their experts always look at me like I have two heads when I ask them simple questions.
Las Vegas Camera Club:
1017 S 1st St
Ste 185
Las Vegas, NV 89101
http://lasvegascameraclub.com/
Specializes in Poloriod and film products. This is a highly specialized store in the heart of downtown. Unless I want to take a stroll down memory lane and get a working Poloroid camera, I don't think I will be going here anytime soon.
