I was recently chatting with an acquaintance who combines writing with her photography. I mentioned that I tried writing for someone about my photography journey but found it challenging due to the word limit and topics. She encouraged me to write about why I like to write when sharing a photo. I had never thought about that as a topic so I figured I would give it a go.
For me, there was a crossing over point somewhere along the way that separated taking photos and creating a journey. I wish I could say that I remember it happening, but I cannot. One day it dawned on me how many lessons in life I have learned by traveling to take photos. Most of them have been life lessons that go well beyond any photo that I take. Living in the South creates a certain way of thinking and the best thing that has happened is me experiencing other cultures, lifestyles, and people. Traveling made me realize how one-dimensional my thinking was.
Over the years I have constantly improved, and it has given me a larger platform than when I first started. I appreciate the support and I love to share parts of me so that more people know the person behind the photo opposed to me simply sharing an image. Sometimes I like to spread encouragement because I know a lot of people are overly critical of themselves. Other times I like to share a moment from a trip that was either a bad decision or funny. I have shared personal struggles as well to show that everything is not perfect. For me, it is important for people to know that mine and Brandi’s life is not some highlight reel of traveling all the time. We do travel often, but we go through problems as everyone else does.
By telling a story it creates a line of work that people can scroll through and after they read what I write they will have a better feeling for what I am about. There is a vulnerability in doing so but I enjoy that because a lot of people can relate to the same issues. Sometimes people need to know they are not alone in dealing with a problem. Other times people simply need a laugh or a break from their day.
I have lost count of how many side conversations I have had due to something I mentioned online. It is one of the best rewards I could ask for and has led to numerous relationships with people I probably never would have met. As I continue to grow with photography, I have started to post photos only when I have something on my mind. At times it is a simple thought and other times it could be a full-blown story. Regardless, I will never stop sharing a piece of me. If people want to find photos there are plenty of websites to accommodate them. I on the other hand choose to share a piece of me.