almondleafstudios.com

Life has a way of progressively expanding and contracting certain areas of the heart, of plans, dreams, hopes, and desires. Sometimes in ways we don’t expect.

This week I got an email asking if I would not only submit one of last year’s weddings to a magazine I respect, but also if I would be a part of an inspiration shoot they were planning. I’m honored and full of gratitude, as I accept the offer and think of where Almond Leaf Studios has come.

It was only about a year ago that I set some new goals for myself with business, and one of those was to have more of my work published, specifically in print. I have now been published in multiple magazines, and in countless wedding sites online. As I step back and take a moment to reflect, I find myself thinking about the many people who thought I was crazy for stepping out to start my own business. I think of my dad, who encouraged me to pursue it and give it my all. I think of so many people I have been fortunate enough to meet, know, and capture all over our nation … and the world, for that matter.

I think of the women, children, and families I have sat and laughed with, or cried with in Uganda, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Kenya. I think of the little orphan girls who held my hand and shyly looked up with their big brown eyes in Calcutta as we walked through the slums and stepped over trash and all kinds of things their sweet little eyes never should have seen … or of the resilient kids in Svay Pak, Cambodia, who mustered up the strength to play and be joyful after the horrible things they’d experienced the night before. I think of so many stories of hope in the midst of depravity and loneliness that continue to inspire and challenge me each day to live more fully, to embrace each moment, and to be grateful for all that I have been given.

I am honored and blessed. Thank you to ALL the helping hands that have been a part of the many steps that have brought Almond Leaf Studios to where it is today. A thousand thanks to all the brides, families, friends, and fellow photographers who have believed in me and who allow me to continue giving back to those in need throughout the world.

Because posts are always best with images, here are a couple images from a center for mothers with malnourished kids. They were captured during a Silent Images trip I took last year to Uganda.