The Humble Lens -- Before it All, I was a Photographer.

I briefly interrupt my normal gardening, crafting, and herbalism content to share with you a bit about my journey through photography and the process I went through to search and find my own unique artistic voice.

Here’s my story.

Before I was a mother, a gardener, a homesteader, or even a wife, I was a photographer.

Photography has been a part of my life since I was a young girl. I asked for a film camera for my seventh birthday, a hot pink one to be exact, and I’ll never forget the smell of opening my first roll of film. My father helped me load it into my camera and then handed it to me to capture whatever my heart desired with no restrictions. It was one of the most freeing memories I have from my childhood. I would save my weekly allowance and do extra chores to be sure I had enough money to get my film developed (printing doubles of course!) and buy a new roll too. Things only escalated from there.

I share this story because back then, I didn’t have anyone telling me what was on trend or how I should shoot. I didn’t have other photographers to compare my work to and, goodness, was that ever empowering. No presets. No Instagram. No reels. Just me and my camera. I loved what I created, and it brought me pure joy and that was enough for me. A few years ago, I decided I wanted to feel that way about photography again. So, I set out to take control over my style and find myself in my craft again. I wrote about my process in Click Magazine and the article went on to be featured in a 10-page spread entitled Here I Am in Issue 42. I share this article with you now because I get a sense that there are many of us feeling a bit overwhelmed by how to create our own voice in this new world of reels and constant information dump we find on social media. Maybe you're feeling defeated by algorithms. Perhaps you're even feeling lost and not sure if you want to continue sharing.  I'm here to tell you there is a space for you. For your work. For your creative voice.

CLICK HERE to read the article. My hope is that it will inspire you to reflect and take control of your own creative passions and search for your own unique voice. 

This is also the beginning of a new themed column here on my online journey. I'm calling it The Humble Lens and I hope that, whether you are a professional photographer, a small business owner, or a creative, that you will find the photography content useful. I want you to keep shooting. It doesn't need to be perfect. You don't even need to share it. But keep clicking on, friends. 

 Disclaimer: This article may contain Amazon affiliate links. Cedar House Living LLC receives a small commission for sales generated through these links at no additional cost to you. I use the commissions to further expand my garden, floral, and herbal knowledge so I can continue to share what I learn with you.