What inspires me? Well, I have always been into the arts as far as I can remember. I remember drawing and coloring a lot when I was a little kid, like when I was visiting the Philippines, impressing my aunts and uncles with images of detailed 747 planes, so I guess you could say my appreciation for art started around then. In high school, I had the chance to mess around with a couple of film cameras, but was never able to take the full advantage of them because I was too busy "goofing around", although I did get the chance to be senior editor for the Oak Grove High School video yearbook. My final two years there, I guess doing the whole video editing got my creative mojo going again. The whole process was amazing. All the hard work filming and then the endless days spent editing only to present a final product to my [peers that they could love every time they watched was a proud accomplishment.
It wasn't until I met my wife when I got back into shooting photography. She is truly one of the biggest inspirations for me to get into photography. I remember being impressed with her black and white prints that she took back in high school. She was the one who got the chance to mess around with film and the whole dark room processing. I still remember being captivated by that true "silver print" she used to talk about when she was trying to explain to me the technical aspects of apertures, shutter speeds, and dark room processing; all over this one print she had of the lily she photographed in her mom's yard. Then we had our first daughter, my second biggest inspiration. The flood gates to photography opened up and never stopped. I snapped photos left and right with our old Nikon F65. There was something so gratifying about capturing those moments as she grew up and then being able to look back at them to remember those days. I can still look at the the photos and hear her giggles and cries as an infant. I loved them, and I loved being able to share them with friends, family, or whomever and let them see how proud I was to be a dad.
To think that a single photograph would allow someone to see such happiness and feel such emotion. I figured if I could do that I could help other people relive moments. But there was that 9 to 5, the 9 to 5 pretty much clogged up the flood gates. Then came the day I put in my two weeks without even consulting with the "high command" , my wife. HELL YES!!! I was scared, but I was confident. Confident in knowing that my passion, even though waiting to be released like a vicious tiger, would take myself, wife, and my family to better places.
My third largest inspiration, the other photographers on the face of the planet; past and present. I love being able to look through prints, books, magazines, and browse the intarwebs only to be captivated and inspired by YOUR images. Then there was our wedding photographers. I was picky when it came to choosing a photographer. For once in my married relationship I had the "final say". But hot damn did I make a good choice. After lookng through so many, there was the one that I said, "Him, let's do it!" The choice pretty much got us to where we are today. The sensational husband and wife team allowed my wife and I to dream big. The big day came and our experience with them pushed us to new levels. THe next day we watched our wedding slideshow online and it was awesome. It felt like I was on the receiving end of Oak Grove video yearbook EPICNESS.
At the time I was too much of a wussy to get into wedding photography because I'm a big baby. But knowing that I could help capture those same moments through my eyes, I took the plunge, even though I can't tread water (seriously, I don't know how to swim). I second shot my first wedding for my wedding photographer. That day pretty much set the tone for where my career was going to go. It was fast paced, chaotic at times, and I loved every minute of it. I was so energized at the end of the night.
Which leads me to my last inspiration; you and your day, your family, your lifestyle. I look forward to stirring up the emotions of happiness, years down the line. I want you to hear laughter in your photographs, I want you to remember how the sun felt on your face that day. Okay kinda corny, and no I don't get emotional looking through father-daughter dances just because I have a daughter of my own.
....LYING, I DO!!!
