We all have a reason and a purpose that drives our passion. The heart of photography for me didn't come fully alive until my first girl was born. I was so fascinated by every little phase that I didn't want to miss a thing. My Dad was (still is) an oilfield sales guy with a strong interest in photography. He pursued wedding photography as a means to put my siblings and I through private school during the ups and downs of the oil industry. He constantly documented our lives growing up. I had never known blurry or underexposed images until I found myself trying to capture the sweet milestones of my own little one, living too many miles from home and having no budget for regular professional photos.
“The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.” - Andy Warhol
I started with a "point and shoot" and the resulting good pictures were about as random as throwing dice. By the time Meah was three, I asked my Dad to teach me everything he knew about film and lighting. He loaned me a Pentax K1000 35mm SLR and a SunPak flash (the old potato smasher) and I fell in love. I took pictures of anything and everything I saw. To this day, I still enjoy the romance between me and that lens. The camera is my favorite traveling buddy and I love that I have so many pictures of my daughters, our travels, our friends and family at so many stages of life.
When it comes to my own images or images taken for someone else, the end result is always about connectivity. I find myself a quiet observer into the relationships between people and the things or people they love. To mirror that back, to freeze and frame that moment in time is an adventure for me. To connect one generation to the next through photographs brings long-term purpose to my passion. When I hold that camera, it rarely feels like work. I don't want to just see a picture, I want to feel it too.
If there were no bills to pay, photography is still what I would choose to do with the gifts God has granted. Life moves fast. It's hard to believe my girls are grown now. I love seeing the joy that comes over them when we go through old pictures. Life is so full of priceless and vaporous moments that are here today and gone tomorrow. In this digital age, I have learned that pictures in print really help the memories come alive.
Enough with all the words - I'd rather tell you why with some photographic history.
Cheers! - Michelle Lea
Point and shoot love... Biloxi Beach, MS - 1996
The last of the point and shoot phase, but still one of my favorites. -1999
I've always had an affinity for black & white... The 35mm phase -1999-2000
35mm black & white film -2000.
Tools of the trade and humble beginnings... So grateful I learned photography before the digital world took over, There is something so classic about film.
The old potato smasher flash - I was so timid when I first started shooting weddings and I loved to hide behind that thing. Photo credits - Nicole Cromer -2007
Seaside, FL 2004 - Photo credits - Bryan Jackson
My favorite photos are the ones that show some form of personal connection. Hannah was four here and we were visiting on a porch in Lafayette, LA. Photo credits to my sister-in-law, Sharon Jackson.
Medium Format -2002
An old 1975 Mamiya 645. I purchased this camera "used" from a photographic consignment shop in 2002 and began to read books and play as much as possible to learn medium format photography. Photo credits - Victoria Jackson
2004 - Nikon D70 - Photo credits Andre' Messina
I'll never forget this day. This brilliant angel beat me at Crazy 8's and I was awestruck at her tender sweetness as she counted her card bounty.
This is why, because life moves so fast and you never really know where the day might take you or what you might see. Washington, D.C. - 2009 - Always appreciate a sun-flare and the red, white, & blue.
Photographs help me remember the sweet stuff. Erie, CO 2015
Photographs help me remember the sad stuff - Hurricane Katrina 2005.
My Meah
Grateful for lazy afternoons with the best pup there ever was.
And I'm thankful to remember the cloudy days when just being together is enough... Perdido Key, FL -2010
Disney 2006 - "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" Exhibit - Photo credits - Matt McGee
And this is why; this is a piece of my story - remembering the joy and laughter of my girls on a simple Sunday afternoon.
My Hannah
May 2018 - Photo credits - Sara Bouza
My Dear 'ole Dad - The jolly soul. My forever hero. Legacy. This is why.