My evolution to photographer was not linear. I did not go to school for photography. I did not follow a pre-determined path. I just knew from a very young age that I LIKED it. It was fun. And I went about my way getting business degrees and working the corporate lifestyle, snapping pictures along the way. A few years after we were married, my husband gave me a Canon Digital Rebel, the first “consumer-grade” SLR to come out on the market, for Christmas. I would consider that moment the first of many transformations in my photography life. I took a few night classes at the local community college and my love just kept growing. Over the years, I practiced and played in my spare time reveling in the joy of my hobby. At some point, I don’t even remember how it happened, I came across a website that would spark the next big photography transformation. Shutter Sisters was created to be a jumping off point where women could read about soulful photography, participate, learn and grow in their skills with a camera. I still remember the first time they “featured” one of my images:
I was on cloud nine for weeks. I had just started the first of what would turn out to be many 365 day projects and the recognition kept me pushing and striving to get better. Through that year of pictures, Tracey Clark started teaching a series of classes that started with Picture Spring and ended in another major transformation in my life as a photographer. Through her classes and some subsequent amazing retreats, I found a tribe of women that helped me through a layoff at my corporate job, a period of serious uncertainty and finally turning photography into a full-time career. We stand on the brink of another evolution as I read the news that Shutter Sisters and their Collective Offering have decided to close up shop. I am and will be forever grateful to those women that fanned the spark inside me to the glowing fire I feel now about my work, my passion, my photography. If you feel moved to write, I’d love to hear about your experiences on how you got started and the evolution you’ve experienced into a photographer in the comments at the bottom. -Sharing the love, Angie
*This post was originally published on Viewfinders.io in September 2015.
