I had planned on releasing this post, along with my brand spanking new website this past Friday, Valentine's Day, hence the title: With Love. I was up late Thursday night trying desperately to make it happen but somehow, life got in the way. This is not a new scenario nor is it one that is uniquely mine.
We have all experienced this in our everyday lives: “Best laid plans…often go awry” etc. While some of us may follow paths that are straight forward, most of us fall into another group. While we may have dreams and make detailed plans, the courses that our lives take are often riddled with detours and perhaps a roadblock or two. As our car navigation systems remind us, recalculation is often needed. In the end, if the stars are aligned, and we are lucky enough to be surrounded by supportive family and friends, we find our true course.
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I have done more than a few recalculations throughout my life and I am richer because of it. When I was six or seven years old, I was sure I would be a clothing designer. I spent hours dressing and re-dressing my Barbie in a myriad of outfits some bought, others “designed” by repurposing things my mother discarded. When I got to college and enrolled in my first writing class, I became smitten and desperately wanted to become a writing major, but my mother, who saw no secure future in writing, convinced me to declare a major in a practical field, Accounting.
I have been a banker, the owner of an accessories company and for the past six years, the marketing director for Irwin Feld Design and CF Modern, but ever since I can remember, I have been first and foremost a photographer; even when I didn’t know I was one.
I received my first camera when I was about eight years old. It was a sixty-nine cent plastic model that was sent with me to sleep away camp. I still have several photos taken with that camera, clearly not my best work. When I was thirteen, my mother bought me an instamatic camera to take on a trip to Washington DC. I can still remember the smell of the burning flashcubes. I received my first 35mm camera as a reward for exceeding sales goals while employed as a retail banker and began photographing people and places. Twenty years, a wonderful husband, three dogs and three children later (in that order), I had documented every milestone and celebration of our lives but never thought of myself as a photographer.
In 1997, my husband volunteered his design services to help renovate the nursery school floor of our children’s school and wanted images of the children for the parents’ room. He asked me to take some photos, which we then had printed poster sized and dry-mounted.
All the images of the children in this post are from that photo shoot.
The renovation was a huge success, which was no surprise to me, given my husband’s talent. What was hugely shocking was the amount of attention my photographs received.
In the days and weeks following the opening of the school year, I received a multitude of inquiries about my services and fees. I didn’t have so much as a business card, but somehow I was in business.
While I continued to pursue my photography career, I also became a marketing director and used both my skills as a photographer as well as my passion for writing when I began the Irwin Feld Design Blog in early 2009.
Now, after doing it all for six years, I have returned to my roots and the place that I am happiest: Behind the lens. And as I begin this new chapter in my life, I look forward to sharing all that I discover Through the Heart of the Lens with all of you. I hope you will join me on this very special journey.