What inspires me most and keeps me excited about photography.

A few months ago, I was asked by Heather Morton to participate in an event she was hosting.  She wanted to video tape our chat and use it in a presentation she was giving on the state of the photography industry.   She sent me a series of questions in advance to think about.  One in particular stood out to me and I knew that someday I would want to explore it more.

The question was, “Is there a particular image out there that inspires you and keeps you excited about working in photography.”

I thought long and hard about that question.  It was challenging at first because as a commercial agent I see SO many amazing images. I am constantly in awe of the talent I am surrounded by and have a deep level of appreciation for the art.  To say there is one image that keeps me going is to be unfair to all the powerful work out there.

What I am continually inspired by though are photographs that share with me the history of my family.  I love old family photos and am always looking for different ways to showcase and share them.

When my grandmother passed away, my mother gave me a beautiful tin of old photographs that she had been saving.  They had jagged edges, wrinkles and were of course black and white.  Each one had a name, date and location on the back in my grandmother’s old fashioned handwriting.  I loved them so much, I had them scanned and made a small book that I gave to each of my family members for Christmas. I love to flip through it with my children and tell them the stories my mother told me when she first shared the photos with me.

My favorite collection of family images though is a wall in my house that I have dedicated to our family history.  Each time I walk by this wall I am reminded of the power of a photograph.  Each image has a story and evokes a different emotion in me when I recount that story.

It is these images that keep the power of photography alive for me.