About 8 and a half years ago we had an opportunity to move to the Middle East for my husband’s work. I had traveled a fair amount as a child (my parents and extended family are British) and the idea of a move for a “couple of years” sounded really exciting! A couple months later we were on a plane with our (then) 4 & 6 year old on our way to an incredible adventure. At the end of our first year away, we welcomed our 3rd baby! I loved the time I had with my kiddos, to attend music groups, meet with other moms, adjust to life away from home and help my two older children settle into their new routines. 

 

Photography had only been a hobby. I had always pursued the Sciences. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, I’d never considered a career in the Arts. I remember my Dad being interested in taking photos when we were little so I first took photos on a Pentax camera he had given me, using film (never really knowing what I was doing but getting “lucky” with a cute photo now and then). We later purchased a point and shoot camera as digital cameras were introduced and a few years after that took the leap to a digital SLR (the Canon Rebel). Fast forward a couple of years and I, like many moms loved taking photos of my own children, documenting their milestones and everyday moments. I also got really into the hobby of scrapbooking and then further into designing scrapbook papers (insert my love of Photoshop) using snapshots I’d taken over the years. 

 

At this point, I had taken a few family photos for a couple of friends who kept encouraging me to take more. That Fall, the principal at my children’s nursery school asked me to take school photos of each of the children and without a whole lot of thought (jump in headfirst?!), I said “yes”!! With no formal training and really little to NO idea how to use my manual settings, I purchased a backdrop stand, draped a white sheet for a backdrop and got to work! Somehow, that photoshoot was successful and after another parent asked me to photograph a nursery school in Abu Dhabi word started getting out that I could take pictures…somehow the ball started rolling! I continued to take as many photos as I could, branching into desert shoots for families and not only fell in love with photography but grew to love the idea that this could one day be my career.