As I look back at how I became more passionate about photography, it really all started with the family trips to Florida.
The long drive
My parents always drove to Florida which took over 22 hours with 2 hotel steps. Staying at the fun hotels was always the highlight and especially if they had a pool to swim in! I brought my camera everywhere to capture anything along the way at our rest stops. Florida became a second home to our family, a place where I felt most at ease.
School projects
When I was in high-school, I majored in Photography my final year. This was a challenging course to learn the technicalities of the camera, and more importantly how to compose and what to look out for. I also had a darkroom at home where I would spend hours in developing my images from start to finish. I loved working behind the scenes to watch my image come to life. At the end of the course, we got to showcase our portfolio and I was amazed at the feedback my friends and family had giving me the motivation to continue pursuing my passion.
"The hard work this year has definitely payed off. You have such a talent for Photography. Excellent work". Feedback from my Photographer teacher!
Family portraits on the beach
Every Christmas, we would spend it in Florida with 5 other families at the same hotel. It was something we always looked forward to every year. Near the end of our stay, I would organize our family photo-shoot date and get everyone there on time. Looking back, I've come to realize that I was already practicing how to pose and organize large family groups for photos. We would take one photo as a large group of 25 and I would split the groups into family photos. I always loved this part of the trip as it captured the moment and finalized the trip. Sharing these photos with each family and seeing them printed up on the wall was amazing!
Without even realizing my camera has always been close by, and used everywhere I go. I continually have this need especially now to capture these moments before it passes and help freeze the moment in time.
