As I’ve grown older I’ve realize more and more that so many
people are living lives they don’t want and have jobs they hate. Well, not me people! After years of uncertainty, I’m so thrilled
to have finally made a solid decision about where I want my life to take
me. Photography is my passion and being
a professional photographer is my dream.
How does one accomplish their dream? With confidence and hard work I
suppose. These are things I am willing
to do to have the life that I want. Why
photography and why now? Well, let’s
take a trip back to where it all began …..(Enter cheesy background montage music)
In high school I thought I wanted to go into fashion then
realized it wasn’t something I wanted. I
graduated, went to community college and decided to get a degree in general
studies, and then liberal arts…. and then I switched to photography…..AND THEN
social science. CLEARLY, I had no idea
what direction I wanted to go with life.
I had so many interests and also a lot of self doubt. Photography was something I really wanted to
do, but I had some people in my ear telling me that I should probably find
something else to fall back on, while others were encouraging. I also had my own inner demons that I could
never be good enough where people would actually pay me to take their pictures.
PFFT, me? Yea right! I still had mini photo shoots with some of my
friends just for funsies, but nothing professional. I took my cheap little point and shoot with
me everywhere and took pictures of everything.
I decided that even if I wasn’t going to be a professional photographer,
it could still be a hobby.
Although my dreams were crushed, I decided I still wanted to
work with people and I took a psychology class as an extracurricular and fell
in love. I figured, hmm being a
psychologist seems like a job no one could give me any lip about. I’m
interested in it, it’s in demand, why not?
And so, young Karissa graduated from community college with an associates
in social science with psychology specialization.
I then transferred to Longwood University (Go Lancers!), a
small liberal arts college where I pursued my BS in Psychology. I had a blast in college. I loved the psychology department and don’t regret
any experience I had as a psychology major.
Throughout college I began offering my services to friends
to take senior portraits and event photos.
One of my first events was taking photos for my best friends sorority’s
date party. It was a blast! I had so much fun. I also volunteered for an art program that
worked with “at risk” children and taught them photography. It was a lot of fun and I got to combine psychology
with photography. Then I took photos for a friend and her boyfriend before a
ball they attended, and from there I was taking senior portraits, then
engagement photos, and I got asked to do a wedding. I was thrilled! I thought:
Hmm, if only I could do this forever, but no, I will be a psychologist….maybe…an
art therapist! That way I could incorporate
both.
Long story short, I put my dream aside and got through
college (which was also a dream of mine!) and here I am. After applying to multiple psychology jobs
and secretly hoping I wouldn’t get any call backs (horrible, I know) I’ve
decided that I don’t want to be stuck. I
don’t want a job that…I DON’T WANT. I
WANT to be a photographer. And why shouldn’t I be? I think I’m good, my friends and family think
I’m good, I’ve been paid by strangers!
Screw it! I WILL BE A FREAKIN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. (Obviously the music has changed at this
point…enter something climactic!)
I’ve always wanted a job where I could meet a) new people, b)
use my creativity, c) travel, d) take photos and e) make people feel confident. Being a photographer is just TOO perfect for
that.
So here I am. Decision made.
This is the beginning of something that I think will be big. I may be in over my head starting my own
little business, but at least I’m trying.
I could be naïve, I could be overly ambitious, but I’m passionate and
willing to work hard. So, here’s hoping!
LIVE YOUR DREAM! :)
