Ever go down memory lane and you just can’t believe that when you do, how much time has flown by! ¬†I was sent an email from a new friend telling me to enter one of my favorite photos into a contest to win a free Canon 5D. ¬†Well, going through many old cd’s to find this favorite photo of mine was not a success (trust me I am heart broken that I cannot find my favorite photo!), but I did see a ton of old photos that I just had to share here. ¬†Warning, the MOM in me is coming out, so to avoid boring the tar out of some of you by sharing my kids old photos, you can just skip this post! ¬†I won’t be offended, I’ll just hit you over the head for not loving my kids as much as I do (no, jk!)…or not! ¬†HA!
But before I post those old photos I came across this one too! ¬†Eight years ago I started my photography career. ¬†I studied via New York Institute Photography, (I know not the best school around!), but being a new mommy at home full time it was the best option for me to learn photography! ¬†Well that is until I was sitting on my living room floor with books all around me pulling my hair attempting to get rid of the massive headache I had from not being able to figure out all this crazy camera technical stuff. ¬†I was beyond frustrated and knew it was time to start calling up photographers to see if I could learn from them on the field! ¬†I’m a girl, I learn best DOING not reading!
The first photographer that took me under her wing was Shelly Kinkaid! ¬†It is because of her that I truly got a start at becoming a photographer. ¬†I have so many great memories of the times I spent on the beaches of Newport, CA., auh, the beaches in California, so beautiful…ok I’ll stop thinking of those beaches, it’s so sad that our beaches don’t look like theirs! ¬†We are truly deprived! ¬†Sorry you native Floridans, but it’s the truth, we are deprived here!!!!! ¬†Ok, back to my story, I often would watch her photograph a family using her hassleblad (WOW, that was a long time ago huh!), or the many times I had my son who at the time was just a baby, he’d sleep in one of her rooms in a playpen while I put together albums the old fashion way (no collage albums back then folks!). ¬†I was able to go to weddings with her carrying her camera bags and doing whatever she needed me to do! ¬†Funny, when I helped her weddings I surely thought to myself, “NO WAY am I EVER going to do this! ¬†It’s just too freakin’ scary and hard!” ¬†Funny how we evolve with time isn’t it! ¬†
Here’s Shelly, her husband Mike, me and Noel (oh my gosh, don’t I look so young!!!!!)
After my adventures with Shelly, I met another photographer that I too was taken under his wing. ¬†His name was Tony Montrelli.¬†¬† He too was so generous with his knowledge and time! ¬†Being inside his office looking at his work I clearly remember thinking, “I will never learn to be this good!” ¬†Geez what the heck was wrong with me back then, boy was I the epitome of positive attitude and self confidence! ¬†Tony would tell me, “Are you kidding me, I am just waiting for the day for when I see you become famous!” ¬†He was always convinced I would be. ¬†He is so sweet! ¬†I use to have a photo of Tony and me at one of his weddings, but sadly I couldn’t find that one! ¬†All I have is a stolen photo of him from his very old website (this was the SAME website he had up back then!) ¬†Tony, I think it’s time for you to update! ¬†You know it’s okay to update!!! ¬†: )
Then I was brave and daring enough to contact my all-time favorite photographer, Mike Colon.  
Boy was I reaching for the stars back then, LITERALLY! ¬†Even back then he was pretty famous! ¬†So to put a time line here, I contacted him back in 2004. ¬†I called his office line nervous as could be. ¬†I think my palms were sweaty! ¬†I had no idea what I would say to him if he picked up the phone. ¬†Totally unprepared I didn’t care, I knew I had to call him! ¬†Pacing back and forth as I heard the phone ringing on the other end, finally his answering machine went off and to this day I remember the message I left him, “Hi Mike, my name is Darice. ¬†I am a new photographer who is…ok I feel like such a dork calling YOU and thinking that I could have a chance at meeting you, but I am going to go for it anyway. ¬†I am calling you because I have not a clue as to what I am doing as a photographer. ¬†I really want to learn, would you let me work with you???? ¬†PLEASE? ¬†I’ll beg if you want me to!” ¬†That was pretty much the message I left him! ¬†A few days later he called me apologizing for not getting back to me sooner! ¬†Such humility! ¬†We talked on the phone for over an hour!!!!! ¬†I think it was more like two hours!!!!! ¬†I couldn’t believe I was on the phone with MIKE COLON! ¬†HELLO! ¬†By the end of our talk, I had felt like I had known him for years. ¬†That’s how warm he was on the phone. ¬†So friendly, so sincere, so nice, just a great guy period! ¬†We ended the call with him saying, ¬†”I’d love to meet you Darice! ¬†Come on over! ¬†When can you come?” ¬†He gave me as much time as I wanted when I met him. ¬†I learned so much from him that day, it was just remarkable! ¬†What a crazy opportunity. ¬†I was also given the chance to shoot with him, but sadly I missed this chance since I moved to Jax., I know what a waste huh! ¬†I’m still hitting myself for moving here! HA HA. ¬†Yet even while I was here, he would still call me back and again, we’d talk on the phone for a long time. ¬†You know he told me that if I ever got ten photographers together, he’d make a special visit to Jacksonville to do an intimate “seminar”. ¬†Hmmm, any takers?
Nonetheless, these three photographers in California played a big role in helping me to stir up the courage to actually become a photographer myself!  
Of course there are more people back in California that played a role, like Julian from PCL West Imaging!  How could I leave him out!!!!  He was always there (STILL IS!) to help me learn all the lab and color calibration stuff.  His eagerness and friendship always touched me!  He truly wanted to help me get started in my new career!  Julian, can you believe that was EIGHT years ago!!  My goodness!  
I can’t leave out one other amazing photographer that most of you all know, her name is Leah Powell! ¬†She is an artistic photographer here in our neck of the woods whom I cherish to no end! ¬†She too welcomed me with open arms when I arrived in Jacksonville. ¬†Her selfless giving spirit and happy heart allowed me to enter into her photography world of weddings and I am forever grateful to her for allowing me to work with her! ¬†
It is because of people like these that I remember how it feels to be taken under someone’s wing so that your own dreams can come true. ¬†Since then, I have taken people under my wings too! ¬†I truly enjoy helping photographers out. ¬†I have helped several photographers to start their own photography businesses that as much as they say they are grateful for me, I am very grateful for the things I learned from them too! ¬†You know I truly believe that when you give to others, you get something back too! ¬†I will always be appreciative to even those that have learned or gained experienced from me for they too have impacted my life as well. ¬†It’s always a good thing to give to others!
And even still TODAY, I have new people that have stepped into my life that one day I will share with you all about who they are too! ¬†These new added amazing things that are happening in my new phase of my photography career is truly remarkable. ¬† My favorite part of this all, is the great people I get to meet and work with. ¬†So if I haven’t bored you enough with my “How I Became a Photographer” story, please allow me to bore you even more with some photos! ¬†: ) ¬†
Here are my kids when they were so young and so adorable. ¬†Now, trust me I came across some VERY OLD PHOTOS, but it’s already 2:13am and I’m still up and do not care to pop in any more cd’s into this MAC computer of mine! ¬†Do these cd’s ever end…I have so many!! ¬†Too many! ¬† It’s ok, I don’t sleep much! ¬†I mean once you are a business owner, what the heck do you need sleep for!! ¬†
So without further ado (did I spell that right!!!), shall we all together go down my memory lane!!! ¬†No? ¬†Well you’re coming with me anyway! ¬†And I better hear you oohing and auhing over these photos of my adorable kids! ¬†I am not afraid to wack you over the head if you don’t like these photos as much as I do!! ¬†Such hostility coming from me! ¬†JK! ¬†LOVE YOU ALL! ¬†Warning, some of these photos were taken with a regular camera, hard to believe I have one of those isn’t it!!!¬†
¬†Above – those are my sisters! ¬†Jennifer in the middle, is my older sister (sorry Jen, she doesn’t like it when I say that) and the one on the right is my younger sister, Marissa. ¬†Jennifer is pregnant with her first baby! ¬†We are all so excited for her!!
 
Too cute huh! ¬†I have so many more photos, but I am all worn out loading up all the cd’s! ¬†
Ok, so what is the moral behind my story? ¬†GIVE! ¬†Give to others, don’t hold back. ¬†Don’t be selfish. ¬†Share your knowledge, share the love, share your dreams, be generous, help others out because someone once did that for you. ¬† And my second lesson for today, always fall in love with other people’s photos of their kids!! ¬†HA HA. ¬†
I won’t be blogging until I return from my trip from Chicago. ¬†I will be incognito until next week Tuesday, so hold on tight until I can post here again. ¬†
Take care everyone!  
Much love,
darice michelle
 
 
 
