Please vote for me here to win a weekend photography mentoring with an amazing local photographer Brooke Snow. The polls close Sunday, February 28th right before midnight and you can only vote once per computer, but please help me out!

I have loved photography since I was a little girl. My dad always had his camera with him. I was a little poser and enjoyed having my picture taken. I especially loved it when he would let me take a picture. He would hold the camera and I would tell him where to point it, how close to get and he would let me press the button. Back in the days before LCD screens we had to wait for the film to be developed. I would eagerly wait until the rolls of film would be developed and loved finding my pictures.

Years later I had the opportunity to be on our yearbook staff. I fell in love with photography all over again as I captured school trips, sports, events and more. The yearbook camera was something I often had with me. My senior year I put a dark room in my parents storage room. I was grateful for their patience as I had crazy supplies everywhere. They let me experiment and were extremely patient when I would show them image after image after image. One of my favorite images from this time period is simple: a black and white image of a calla lily. My mom hangs this image in her home and it brings a smile to my face to see the simplicity and beauty of that image that really reflects an inner piece of me.

Thanks for your time and hopefully your vote!