My Life as a Photographer

These photos are some self portraits that I shot one spring afternoon.

I shoot with Canon SLR lenses, bodies and flash equipment.
I also love my on-the-go camera bag by Shootsac.

Often people ask me, "How did you become a photographer?" It was a round about way, but I came to the conclusion in college. When I first arrived at college at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama I was a music and theater double major. I came to the conclusion that wouldn't be the best career choice for me during my 1st semester and fell in love with interior design & architecture. While I was a design major, I worked two summers interning at a design firm back home in Huntsville, Alabama. For my major, I had to take 9 art history classes which I loved. Luckily before I started college in the summer of 1999, my family went to Italy for almost a month. It was amazing and I fell in love with art and culture even more there. That trip only made the Renaissance and other art periods more fascinating to me. I also had to take several other art courses: drawing, painting, color theory and it was while I was in the art building that I also needed to take an elective art class. I decided to take a photography class. After one class, I was hooked and I decided I wanted to change my major for a third time. Only this time, my father decided I needed to be really sure before I changed my direction for a third time (and needed to be in college for 5th year). So he talked to several photographers back home and they agreed to let me shadow them for a few days over my Christmas break. I met with a photojournalist at the newspaper and a wedding photographer. After meeting them and seeing what they did for a living, I was positive that I wanted to be a photographer. I changed my major and I went to our nationally award-winning college newspaper, The Crimson White, and I started photographing assignments for them. After one semester of working for free, they liked my work and work ethic and hired me as a paid staff photographer. I was able to get press access to all university events such as plays, musicals, ballets and operas. I got press passes to all the sporting events and I photographed all the different NCAA athletic sports (football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and more). I started traveling around to the different SEC schools (Mississippi State, Georgia, and Tennessee, to name a few) photographing the Crimson Tide. I loved working for the paper and I decided to minor in photojournalism through the journalism department while I was a photography major in the art department. For my major it was all black and white film that we developed ourselves and did our own work in the university photo labs and dark rooms. I would later become a photo lab monitor so I could get a dark room key and I would stay late at night and keep the lab open for other students to work on their projects and help teach the newbies. Between my black and white artistic work and color film photojournalism work, I grew a large portfolio.

The goal my entire life was for me to leave Alabama and move to NYC. I visited NYC for Christmas with my family when I was 6 years old and I was hooked. I just thought the city was magical and I knew I wanted to live there. So, though I changed majors 3 times they were all careers that I could move to NYC to pursue. During my last year of college, my family planned that for spring break we would go to NYC together and I would take my portfolio and hit the streets. My parents and sister were all so supportive and did everything in the world to help me make my dreams come true. I got interviews at several prestigious magazines for internships (Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and Vogue to name a few). It was an experience of a lifetime to talk to photographers and and see the artistic departments at these cultural icons of the magazine world. Though Rolling Stone had already filled their intern position, they opened the door for me and shared my name and work with the people at Annie Leibovitz's studio. Two days later, I was in her studio meeting with her studio manager while she was conducting a photo shoot. I couldn't believe that I was able to meet one of the most famous photographers of all time. After the interview, I flew back home to Alabama and went back to college. A week later, her people called me and offered me the internship if I could move up there and start the day after Memorial Day. So, I finished my last semester and moved to NYC.

I found roommates through Craig's list (which this was 2004 and it had just gotten started) and I moved to the Upper West Side just one block south of Harlem and the Cotton Club and the Apollo. I loved the city and I was able to get press passes for the huge protests outside of the Republican National Convention for George Bush's second run at the white house. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I knew for sure then that I could really cut it as a newspaper photojournalist. So, I started sending my resume and CD portfolio to newspapers and magazines around NYC and the rest of the nation. I continued to finish up my internship and began working for an online lifestyle magazine about life in NYC and the surrounding area (it was new york cool). I got to photograph concerts and movie premiers and even runway shows during New York Fashion Week. It was another wonderful experience. It was while working there that I learned my father had pancreatic cancer. I had lived my dream but I knew it was time to go home, even if for just a little while to be closer to him so I could see him on a daily basis. So, I said goodbye to NYC (still hoping that I would return) and moved back to Huntsville, Alabama. While there, I started hitting the road to find a full-time staff photographer position at a newspaper. I drove all over the country for interviews. And in August 2005 (just 2 months after leaving NYC) I got a call from a newspaper/publishing company out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and they wanted me to start in 2 weeks. This was the same day that my father had major surgery to fight the cancer and we didn't even know if he would make it through the surgery, so I told them I would have to get back to them. Well, my father made it through surgery and while he was in the intensive care unit at the University of Alabama, Birmingham Medical Center I was able to talk to him and see if he would be OK with me moving to Pennsylvania and finally taking my first full-time position at a newspaper. He gave me his blessing and the day after Hurricane Katrina hit the south, I followed the massive storm all the way from Alabama to Pennsylvania.

My new job was at the publishing company Journal Publications and they ran the weekly business newspaper the Central Penn Business Journal and the monthly magazine Central Penn Parent. They also produced many other publications and events and I was the sole photographer for the company. I had a coverage area of 7 counties so I drove a lot. I could be in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Gettysburg and Carlisle all in one day. I did photo shoots of children each month for the cover of Central Penn Parent and any non-stock photos needed for inside the magazine. I did all the photography for the newspaper. I also covered all the events the firm put on with other partners like 40 Under 40, Business of the Year, Best Places to Work and many others. I usually worked more than 50 hours a week, but I loved it. I photographed so many businesses throughout the area. I photographed CEOs and entrepreneurs who were all willing to let me try different shots to get a unique photograph explaining in one photo what they did for a living. It was while I was in Harrisburg that I met my husband and my father passed away due to complications from the cancer. I went through a lot while living and working in Harrisburg.
Later when I got married, my husband and I bought a house in Carlisle, and it was there that I had the opportunity to apply for a new position at the US Army War College (which was closer to our home). I have been working there for more than 3 years now. At the War College I mainly photograph our military personnel in our studio. I photograph all the branches of the military (Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard) and I meet people who have traveled all over the world and have such wonderful stories to tell about their lives. People travel up to 5 hours to come to our photo lab for their official photos. On occasion, I also get to photograph events, such as promotions and retirements as well as luncheons and speakers and even sporting events for intramural sports on the post.
With my steady and predictable hours at the War College (Monday-Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm), I was able to start my own business that I had wanted to do for years. I officially formed Photography by Lizzie in the fall of 2008. For this business, I photograph headshots and portraits of families, children, high school seniors, engaged couples, pets, and more. I also photograph events such as weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, bridal showers and more. I had so many different experiences leading up to my decision to start my own business that I knew I could photograph anything and do it well. I'm also great with numbers, taxes and finances so I knew I could run the business side of it. I have big hopes for my company as it grows. I want to do advertisements, have booths at bridal shows and events and continue to hone my skills by going to photography shoots with other professional photographers who teach and attend two large conventions that are held once a year in Las Vegas and New Orleans. My husband and family are all so supportive of my endeavors and I want there to be no limit to what I can do!
So, that is my story of how I became a photographer, my work experiences and how I got to where I am today. I wrote this so clients could better understand me and know my background in the photography business. I hope the experiences that I have been through will help them to know I am skilled for the job and capable of any job that comes my way. I truly love what I do and I am so privileged to have led the life that I have as a photographer!