My start in photography was an unexpected one. Sometime during my first year of college, a good friend from high school sent me a message out of the blue and asked me to photograph her wedding.

The most photography experience I’d had up to that point was on disposable cameras at summer camp. So of course, I told her I couldn’t do it; I knew literally nothing about photography. She went on to tell me she couldn’t afford someone with more experience, and she believed in me– that because I was “artsy” (drew on my notes in class?) she knew I could do it. No pressure, just get a few snapshots, and be there as a friend. After a bit of convincing, I decided that if I was going to attempt this, I was going to give it everything I had and do the best I possibly could. I saved up all summer working at Longhorn Steakhouse, signed up for a Lightroom class, and bought my first camera and lens: a Canon T1i and Tamron 18-270mm. About two weeks after it came in the mail, I did my first-ever photoshoot: the wedding.

It was fun yet terrifying. And painful– literally– I wore 2″ high heels and could hardly walk by the end of the reception. Most of it was shot in auto while constantly getting frustrated with the pop-up flash. Editing took a month of all-nighters after classes and closing shifts at the restaurant, and I felt so bad about the pictures that I didn’t think she should pay me at all. I turned over a couple thousand half-decent shots and decided photography wasn’t for me. I’d sell my camera and stick with drawing.

But as a couple weeks went by… I started getting messages from strangers who had seen the wedding pictures, asking if I would take their pictures too. I told them I didn’t know anything about photography, but if they still wanted me to try, I’d give it my best shot!

Since then, photography has grown from a hobby, to a side job shooting weddings on weekends, to part of my day job shooting advertising for global brands like Burts Bees and Febreeze, to my own full-time business photographing wherever the journey takes me. And I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for one good friend who believed in me out of the blue.