A family session: the very first

So this is a big first for me. I have decided after all these years to finally take the plunge and call myself a photographer. I don't know why it's taken me so long, I feel like I've been drifting through this working world not quite sure where my path or place is. I've of course been taking photographs the whole time, as it feels natural to me to capture the world (my small world) around me to record it. I've often had ideas to start something up, but my fears and self doubt have always got in the way. What if no-one thinks I'm good enough? What if the way I take photographs isn't what people want? So many what ifs...but then I realised, no-one is going to believe in me or my work until I believe in it myself.

So if turning 30 has taught me anything, it's that I am good enough, and I enjoy it. And that's all that matters. I can't think of any thing else that draws my passion quite like photography, viewing moments and capturing those little ordinary but magical moments that happen all around us. I'm not in it to make thousands of pounds, I'm in it because I've realised that I can't go anywhere without my camera to hand in case I miss an opportunity, because capturing my life and people's is ingrained in me and it's what I love. 

I remember that feeling of waiting to get your photographs back from the developer, of not knowing what you had captured and whether they would turn out ok. Then later in University the magic of developing my own films, scrambling around in the pitch black loading those precious rolls of films onto fiddly spools and pouring in the chemicals and waiting, oh the waiting, turning and washing until you can finally pull the film out of its little developing chamber to see what magic awaits you. Those tiny moments in time frozen forever onto film. Now of course it's a different story, but I still get that feeling of suspense whenever I import images from my camera and wait excitedly to see how the photographs have turned out. To spend the hours going through and editing to get them (hopefully!) just right. It excites me, and I never find it to be work. 

So now that it's taken me nearly 7 years to realise that I would actually like to do this as a job, I guess it's time to get going right? So here we have my first 'shoot', with my dear friend and her family. We spent a few hours on a walk through the park behind their house, normal for them, normal for me. I don't need or want to do anything more than that, than just spend a little bit of time with a family or people, in an environment comfortable to them and to me. To let those natural moments happen and to capture them honestly. No tricks or effects. 

So what do you think? I need to build a website, separate to this blog which I'm working on, but I was too excited not to share!