Thank you so much for visiting my website! For those of you who are interested in learning a little about me I am going to share "my story." We all have one. Many have said that they have found a bit of inspiration in mine...and that makes me very happy.
I have always been the "picture taker" in my family. My beautiful mom put her camera in my hands and showed me what to do at around age 6. I was given my very own camera as a Christmas gift at age 11 and had numerous models of cameras throughout my life. It seems as if I always had a camera in my hands! I particularly enjoyed asking my glamorous mom to pose for photos and then later in life photographing the precious moments of my four children's lives. In general, I was always observing and documenting everything in life with a camera.
It's unbelievable to me that it never occurred to me to actually study photography and I certainly never saw myself as a photographer. Many members of my family are artistic. Throughout my life I found any way possible to express myself artistically, Writing, drawing, crafting, cooking, baking, etc. Yet for some reason I never saw art as a career choice. A series of life-changing experiences led to my further interest in photography as my profession and my chosen art.
In 2015 after several family tragedies, heartaches, and struggles while working at a stressful job I felt physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I had spent 26 years raising my family and, in that time, there had been very little "me time." Their lives were my life. I began receiving what I call "signs" all around me; Messages from above seeming to tell me that I needed to make some changes in my life. So, it was then that "I made a CHOICE to take a CHANCE and CHANGE my life."
I was working in a print shop as a creative person designing promotional and advertising products for local business owners. The seed of thought had been planted. I quit my job with the intention to start my own business. Many people had been requesting that I write a cookbook, sell my cakes, and start catering, so initially I thought that is what I would be doing. I suddenly found myself home alone in total peace and quiet. I enjoyed some much-needed meditation and later sitting with my coffee and watching the birds in my yard. One morning I discovered that a pair of mated cardinals had nested in one of my sago palms. I observed the cardinal family after their two chicks hatched and I could not resist taking photos of them. Eventually I was photographing them every day and posting photos of the cardinals and many other birds on my Facebook page. It was like some sort of magic had entered my life. I documented their growth and behavior until the fledglings were old enough to seek mates and leave my yard. The experience was very inspiring to me, and I found myself feeling very much "spirit-led" and also encouraged from many directions to get better gear, study photography, and leave the comfort of my own yard. Before I knew it, I was exploring the bayous, marshes, lakes and wildlife refuges of Louisiana for more of what I call "nature's magic." Photography became my passion and purpose in life. I was living and breathing it. I began to sell my work and had my own business within six months. I was suddenly doing a job that I loved more than anything. This is still unbelievable to me at times, and I am so grateful. I feel it has been a wonderful lesson to my children and I encourage them and others to find their own happy dreams to pursue.
I always tell people that being a photographer is not something that I do...it is who I am. The moments I have experienced and the beauty I have witnessed on my photo adventures locally and abroad has been very nurturing and healing. Each day as a photographer is a new opportunity to see and experience something wonderful. Each day offers its own magic with the chance to capture a bit of it, and that is my ultimate goal. I know without a doubt that I could never do anything else and that for the rest of my days I will be "venturing to capture the magic" and with the hope of making all my Louisiana Dreams come true.
"Within each day there is a little magic tucked away somewhere between the minutes and hours
...I hope you find it" ~Sherry Lynn