How I Accidentally Fell in Love With Photography

If you told junior in high school me that I’d end up as a photographer, I would’ve laughed in your face. I actually hated my first photography class. I thought it was boring, pointless, and honestly a waste of time. The only thing that got me through was knowing we had one final project where I could finally do whatever I wanted.

That project changed everything.

Once I picked up my camera and started experimenting, I realized how much fun it was to capture people, emotions, and little moments. I fell in love with the process of making something feel real and alive through a photo. After that, word spread at school and classmates started asking me to take their senior portraits. I couldn’t believe people actually wanted me to do this for them — and even more, I loved every second of it.

Fast forward to graduation, and I got the opportunity to work with LSU Athletics. That’s where I really learned how to shoot under pressure — fast-paced games, big crowds, and once-in-a-lifetime plays that you only get one chance to capture. It taught me how to be quick, creative, and ready for anything.

At the same time, I started stepping into weddings. I quickly realized that a wedding day isn’t all that different from game day — emotions are high, things move fast, and you only get one chance to capture the moment. The difference is that instead of touchdowns and buzzer-beaters, I get to document love stories, happy tears, and dance floor chaos.

Now, here I am, balancing LSU Athletics with my growing wedding photography business, and dreaming about going full-time within the next year. It’s wild to think that something I once thought was “stupid” ended up being the thing I love most.

So yeah, photography and I didn’t exactly get off to the smoothest start. But now? I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.