Week 6 EOC: How Art Has Changed Me

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.

Week 1 EOC: Stallions Not Unicorns

I want to be a famous boudoir photographer. I know that’s a tall order, but not impossible. One of my idols, as Christa Meola, has built her empire on empowering others, including fellow photographers. She says, “I believe that imagery is powerful….and that honoring our bodies, emotions, choices & impulses through photography—whether in front of or behind the camera—is sublimely empowering.” I believe in this philosophy whole-heartily. What Meola has done is unique to the industry though; she helps women in front of and behind the camera lens. By creating this network of photographers and women, and uniting them through boudoir photography, she has become a household name. I want to do something similar, but instead focus on positive body image in addition to the art. In a study conducted by Dartmouth in 2002, "Beginning in early adolescence, women compare their

body shape and weight with their beliefs about cultural ideals". Also sighted in the study: higher self esteem and body image directly impacts their happiness and overall productivity. What a concept! 

This also leads me to believe that I could actually achieve my goal of coming a world famous boudoir photographer. Helping people improve their self-image is extremely important to me, and it is NOT about the money, but self-help is a 2.5 billion-dollar-a-year industry (according to Psychology Today). People are searching for that something to make them feel better and be happier. It's human nature. I would love to be a part of something that actually does help others.   

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

For me, photography is about beautiful pictures, but it's not really about beautiful pictures. Sure, I have always loved photography, but it wasn’t until I took my first glamour portrait that I became hooked on the art of photography. From that day on (yes, I can remember the actual day), I became obsessed with taking boudoir portraits. It quickly became apparent that the images I was taking meant so much more to the women I was photographing than I could have ever imagined. Whether that woman was a mother of four wanting to reclaim her femininity, or a lady that had undergone a double-mastectomy and hysterectomy that wanted to celebrate life. I decided that I wanted to honor women through my photography. Not only that, I want my photography to be about celebrating womanhood. Insecurity is the most unattractive quality in a human being, but we all deal with it. Let’s face it: women have a lot of competition. Not with other real women, but with woman-like beings in media. If I can show women that they are just as good as the women they see in magazines, I feel that it could help them lead more confidant, happy, and fulfilled lives; long after the photo-shoot is over!