I could never come to terms with calling myself a 'photographer.' I was a 16 year old who had simply picked up the family camera, started out taking some photos of flowery weeds in the backyard, and gradually found myself being paid to take photos of families, glowing pregnant women and couples in love. But I was never a photographer. I was just a 16 year old taking photos of people.
I was always big on going to university. I didn't always know what I was going to study, but I figured it would come to me before I finished high school. It was in the last few months of Year 12 that I realised I didn't have a clue where I was going, and I was running out of time to decide. I was blessed to be offered a full time job not long after graduating, and chose to begin working. I also began to notice that my weekends were becoming more consistently booked up with photoshoots: including a wedding (yes, a wedding!). But I still didn't call myself a photographer. Why? Well, in my eyes, to be a 'photographer,' I had to have credentials. I hadn't studied photography at university, nor had I learnt the ins and outs of using a camera; I had just spent several hours on Youtube, reading blogs, joining photography forums and teaching myself the basic rules of photography. I hadn't gone to university, because I felt it wasn't the right path for me. I guess you could say I'm a big believer that you don't need a shiny certificate to be successful in life. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against going to university. I love learning and feel that for some people, going to university is what they're meant to do. For me, it wasn't.
To cut an already-long-story short, between that time and now, I have managed to gain the courage to call myself a photographer; because that is what I am. I haven't been to university, and I haven't had years of experience, but what I do have, and hold near and dear to me, is passion.
I have a love and desire for capturing the sweet moments between a couple, the gentle stroke of a mother's hand to her child's face and the soon-to-be-a-father's delicate hands cradling his wife's pregnant belly. For me, there's just something so satisfying about being blessed to witness and capture such moments in time.
This introduction brings me to the main reason for this blog post; my first ever blog post in fact! I have several followers of my photography,
Holly Imms Photography, and decided it was time to start a blog. I'm new to this, so please bear with me! For my first blog post, I thought it might be best to introduce me and why I'm doing what I'm doing (all mentioned above!). I also thought I'd share some recent photos of myself, so those that don't know me are able to see 'who's behind the camera.' You must know this was an incredibly strange concept, for I am far more used to being on the other side of the camera. Many thanks to my sister, Ella, for her photo-taking skills!
I'd like to thank YOU for taking the time to read my first blog and support what I'm doing. It means a lot.
Hopefully you want to stick around and join me on my journey; the journey of an 18 year old and her lack of credentials.
Holly
