My Journey to Photography - Part 2

Wedding in Laos

After my 6-month trip to Laos in 2013 which you can read about in My Journey To Photography - Part 1, I returned home and began working at both a ministry and herbal store doing photography and video work for both of them. The ministry I was working for was the same ministry that produced the comic book which I had helped turn into the animated film. In the middle of my work in late 2014 with them I was asked to go back to Laos by my dear friend whom I had met on my first trip over there to be the photographer for her wedding! It worked out perfectly because I also stayed an extra 6 weeks longer and completed yet another smaller video translation project (with translators of course, I'm not bilingual AT ALL!) while I was there. I had attended many Lao weddings with the missionary family who hosted me during my 6-month stint on my first trip, but being front and center photographer for a Lao wedding was a WHOLE NEW WORLD! My friend was marrying an American (our family friend's son but that's a long story!), so the wedding was half in Lao language, half English. The entire wedding was held on a beautiful Lao water reservoir on three (rather small) boats tied together floating around the reservoir for the duration of the ceremony and reception. I never knew it was possible to crowd that many people onto three small boats, but they did! Here's a few photos of the wedding, ugh I cringe now looking at the quality of these! I've come a LONG ways since then! (facepalm)

Life Changes

Shortly after returning home from my second trip from Laos I met my now husband. I'll write a full blog post on our crazy love story some other time but the short of it is we went from strangers to married in 5 months and then took a 7-month honeymoon where we traveled across country in our converted Nissan Xterra (guess that'll be another blog post, too! lol). 10 months after our wedding our first daughter was born. 2 years and 7 months later our second daughter was born. During all that time along with being a stay-at-home mom, I was busy in another network marketing business and just dabbled in doing photography and videos for friends but not really doing much with making it a business.

Healing Through Photography

And now I finally get to the main part of my story, the reason I picked photography back up and decided to run with it....not just as a business but for emotional healing. I guess here is where the standard "Trigger Warning" needs to be inserted. My husband and I are both from large families (he's one of 10 kids and I'm one of 8) and we both would love to have a large family of our own. We have found that that is easier said than done when God has other unknown plans. I suffered a miscarriage between our two daughters which I didn't think much of because I know miscarriage happens. But when I conceived again in 2020 when our second daughter was 13 months old I carried that baby until 12 weeks and then traumatically (meaning ended up in the ER, I'll leave other details out) miscarried that baby. I didn't know your heart could hurt that much from being broken....until I experienced it again two more times after that! The grief of miscarriage is something I would NEVER wish on anyone but also something you never truly understand until you've been there. I desperately needed an "emotional outlet" and photography has always brought me such joy. It's such a confusing road to walk, especially when you already have two healthy daughters because I feel like I should just be grateful for them and move on. But it just doesn't come that easily...especially not 4 times over! After my second miscarriage in 2020 I decided to listen to the advice from friends and family to pick my natural gift of photography back up as my "outlet". I dove back in head first and immediately found the most incredible photographer mentor (although she's just an online educator but I consider her my friend because I relate to her so much). She's a world renowned international wedding photographer and the most incredible instructor you will ever find! Katelyn James you have literally changed my life! I've poured hours and hours and lots of money into her photography education and it has been incredible! Because of what I've learned through Katelyn James courses The Southern Rose Photography was born and thriving!

Thank you

If you've ever been my past or are considering becoming my future client, let me just take a minute to say THANK YOU! Thank you for not just choosing me, but for being part of my healing journey. I truly do NOT know where I would be without my photography journey and the joy knowing that my four precious babies are in the arms of Jesus just waiting for me! Every single session I do whether engagement, wedding, maternity, family or mini session brings me one step closer to healing from the trauma of repeat miscarriage. I don't know where I would be without you, my clients!