I used to believe that a flawless model, draped in designer clothing, glowing from a professional makeup application in front of a wind machine was my ideal subject. Photography has always been something I admired and dreamed about, but America's Next Top Model took my obsession to a new level. I loved how bold, dramatic and emotional an image could be, but as I grew I began to be drawn to something different.
I dreamed of fashion school for most of my teenage years, but before I jumped into that, another opportunity came my way. Forever thankful for the people in my life that worked together to get me to Perth, Australia in 2008 to join Youth With a Mission. For 3 months I studied in Australia and then took off for another 3 months to Indonesia, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. I was never the same again.
Exploring parts of the world I never expected to go was one of the greatest gifts God has given me. We didn't just learn about life in developing countries, we lived it with them. Sleeping on the floor of a church for a month in the slums of Jakarta or camping on a dirt road in the Kalahari Desert was the last thing I wanted to do (really), but the people, the miracles, the joy... I really can't put into words what it did to my heart. It changed the way I looked at the world around me.
I had a cheap point and shoot digital camera during my travels. I tried my best to photograph the details, to freeze the sounds and smells, to capture their unique lifestyle and the oh so perfect little babies I treasured. Photographs became more than just a pretty picture, they became an opportunity to tell a story, to remember moments and to discover beauty in the everyday.
When I got home I immediately started saving for a professional camera - I was ready to take this more seriously. I got my first Nikon camera a few months later and I haven't put it down since. (well, I've upgraded, but you get the point.)
That experience led me here. Now I photograph my family everyday - beautifully capturing our story. I love that my kids will have images of themselves in every season of their life... They get to see the way they arranged their most cherished belongings in their bedrooms, the outfits they carefully chose for themselves. They get to see the aftermath of a day full of crafting and playing pretend, the way they slept, ate and helped out around the house.They get to see the details of our little getaways to the city as well as afternoons spent in our backyard.
Of course I take these photos for myself, I love them so much, but I'm always inspired by the joy I find in looking back at my own childhood and I imagine my kids as they're older, flipping through the images of their lives and pointing out things even I missed seeing. Documenting our life, freezing these precious moments that slip by so quickly is important to me and I'd be honoured to be a part of documenting the many seasons of your life as well.
I've found so much joy in finding the beauty in our everyday life, creating images that are frame worthy of simple moments that often go unnoticed. Each one of us lives a life that is so unique, across the globe family life looks different, but even across our city we find different kinds of normal. There is so much beauty to be found in who and what brings us real happiness.
I'm thankful to have a space to share my photography journey, to share more of my personal images and to share what's on my heart. Thank you for being here.
Brittney-June.
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