Getting to Know Your Photographer Pt. 1
I am so used to being behind the camera and having the spotlight be on someone else that it feels weird when I am talking about myself. I am such an outgoing person, so it's strange to not know what to say about myself, like where to even start?
At the age of 9, and some pretty bad situations lead me to deciding that I wanted to make a change in a child's life, and that the criminal justice system was flawed. So I grew up with the mindset and goal of becoming a lawyer and eventually a judge. My grandma (who at times was a second mother to me) always told me that she can't wait until she can come over to my house (which would be on Southshore Drive) and I would take off my patent leather pumps and we would put our feet in Lake Michigan off my private deck in my backyard. It was always her wish for me, and she would say it many times as I grew up.
Pictured below is my wonderful Grandma Dee, I can hear her saying with her Southern accent, " Just call me Grandma Dee Honey."
I was working as an administrative assistant/ Human Resources while attending an online collage for Criminal Justice, and having a toddler at home. Two days before my son's 3rd birthday I got laid off from my job. I have always been a big believer in fate, it's how I met my husband, and it was fate for me to lose that job.
One day while grocery shopping I saw my son's photographer at Olan Mills, she was promoted and left that particular store. She offered me a job on the spot. I couldn't believe it, I was a horrible photographer, all of Julian's baby pictures had my finger in them.
I took the job, and I loved it. I loved everything about it, I loved the ability to do something different every day. I figured out I was not cut out for office work. I loved that I could be creative, and still be social and interact with people, but most of all I loved getting smiles out of the kids. I fell in love with all of it. I made so many friendships with my clients that some of them are still my clients to this day, and many have become friends!
Pictured below is Shannon aka my Wonder Baby's Mom. Haha I met her when I first started at Olan Mills, not only do I still photograph her but we have become friends and she holds a special place in my heart, part of the reason why I could not, not do photography.
This is a shoot we did recently for her turning 30, we called it Death to My Twenties.
After 4 years of being the Studio manager and having record breaking sales, my store closed. I had the choice to get another job or to continue with Photography. That is when Crystalized Photography was born. Fate has always had a hand in how my life has gone, even if it's not what I had planned, it's what was needed. Annnddd fast forward 10 years and here we are, writing my second blog post on my own website that I created. Whhhatt!!
Even though my Grandma cannot dip her toes in Lake Michigan from my backyard because I am a Judge, I can take her down to my Studio and bling her out with my Crystal Room.
Pictured below is My Grandma and Me. This was at her apartment when I was a Sophomore in High School.
I know that if she was still with us, that she would be so proud of how my life is playing out. She loved her bling, she loved empowering and uplifting woman, so in a way I am doing what she knew I always would, making a difference through photography.
1 Comments
Oct 11, 2022, 5:49:53 PM
Charlie Moureau - Very inspirational. Happy for your fated reality and impressed with your empowerment of others!!