Why I Love Photography

I'm a freelance photographer in Austin, Texas. Photography has been a passion of mine since I received my first camera as a gift when I was nine. Why do I love photography? I've asked myself that question many times over the years.  Here's what I have come up with--  

I love the way I feel when my creative juices are tapped and flowing. When I am out taking photos, I lose all sense of time and I get totally lost in the moment. I feel most alive when out experiencing the world through photography.  

Photography forces me to live in the moment and to pay attention to my surroundings. In order to take a great photo - I must be very observant to all that is going on around me, I must be in the right place at the right time and I must be ready for the shot. I can't be thinking about other issues that might be going on in my life, I can't waste any time being preoccupied, and I can't spend time worrying about things I can't control. I must totally embrace the moment for all that it is worth.  Photography allows me to experience things on a whole new level.  

Too often, people walk through this world in a preoccupied state....they miss the beautiful sunsets or the heartfelt moments that are going on in front of their very eyes.  Photography enables me to consciously observe my surroundings and capture these beautiful brief moments. I love photography because it enables me to capture a moment in time - never to be repeated. This is true whether it's family portraits, a wedding, a birthday party, a beautiful landscape, a city scene, etc.  

If you were to ask anyone if they could save one thing in their house in a disaster besides their loved ones, it would be photographs. Why? Because photographs are a documentary of one's life, of one's family history. They are part of one's memories. Those little captured moments in time are so precious - that they supersede most other material things. Life is short, and my goal is to experience it to it's fullest. Photography helps me to do this for myself and for others. In my opinion, that is what it's all about.  

Carpe Diem!

-Michelle