Cultures
One thing I did not expect when I started my photography business was how many cultures I would get to experience. I never thought being in the middle of Ohio that I would get to see different cultures celebrate some of their biggest life moments. It has become a privilege to be a part of these celebrations.
Since I was a child I saw the photos in National Geographic of all the different cultures around the world. When I picked up a camera, I wanted to get pictures like those. Get the pictures that show someone that lives completely different than I did. I wanted to capture something I have never experienced before. I read a book by a war photographer named Lynsey Addario that painted this picture of what she saw and lived through that inspired me to want to see how people lived outside of my country. When I bought her photo book, I was amazed at some of the photos. I knew I would never get the opportunity to do what she did, to get inside the lives of people that lived so different than us.
One day I received an inquiry to do a first birthday party. I didn’t think much of it and gave my price then booked it. When I arrived, I was in a different world than I had expected. The porch was covered in discarded shoes, I took mine off after reading the situation. When I walked in all the walls were covered in photos from a foreign land and had sandscript posters. This was not what I expected. I met the hosts and quickly realized that I was going to have a unique experience. I was delighted to see the different clothes and tried some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. This event catapulted me into a string of events that gave me a peak into a world not many people get to see.
My most recent experience was one that gave me the photos I have craved since reading Lynsey Addario’s book. I was invited to see an Indian maternity ceremony. The colors, the singing, the entire thing was an experience I really enjoyed. I love the photos I was able to capture. I am very thankful that my passion is leading me to experiences that I would have never had the opportunity to see if I wasn’t doing what I love.
