Jenn and I were in the same sorority in college. We were good friends but not best. We both had different groups that we hung out with that crossed over a lot. We bonded over our love for kitchen aid mixers, our dogs, being creative and photography. She and I were always the ones that were out with our giant cameras in tow....and always laughing the next day about the awesome pictures that we had taken! It wasn't until we both graduated and started our "adult" lives that our bond really solidified. I'm not sure what it was. The foundation was always there and then something sparked between us. Our friendship went from good friends to someone that I would trust with anything in my life-to include my kids.
Jenn called me a year and a half ago in tears. She has just been laid off from her job. Not because she wasn't doing an amazing job, but because the company was downsizing and she was unfortunately the person there who had been *only* been working there for three years-not 15 years like the other people. She was devastated. I was upset right along with her. The job market was not the most welcoming two years ago. She had always wanted to be a professional photographer but knew that may not be a "real" enough job to support her adult self. She started taking pictures as a side job, while still actively searching for something that was considered "real". One of her first shoots happened to be of my first born. I cried when I saw the pictures. They still hand all over my house-almost 2 years later. I told her from the beginning, this is the work she needs to be doing. She's taken her business from a side job to a full scale photography business.
Since then, I have been fortunate enough to have Jenn capture every milestone in Joe's life. Every time she takes pictures I say, THIS is my favorite image she's ever done. Then the next set of pictures comes out and I have to say, no wait, THIS is my favorite picture ever.
She's more than just a friend-she's part of our family. I'm so proud of her growing business. So proud that she found her passion in life. So proud that she's doing something that she loves, despite the struggles to get there. So proud that she gives other people feeling like I have when I get pictures of my family back. So proud to call her a friend.
I love that as my family grows, she's a part of it.
What's the best way to welcome a brand new website to your favorite photographer's life? Well, camera straps of course! Here's some that I just sent her way a couple of days ago. I hope that she knows how inspiring she is, not only to me, but to everyone who's lucky enough to meet her and be a part of her work. I'm so grateful that I have been able to watch her work change and grow over the last couple of years-I can't wait to see what she does next!!!!!!!!
