One thing I have struggled my entire life is…confidence. Whenever I try a new skill/thing, I have such a high standard for myself that I feel I am never going to good enough at whatever it is I am trying. That mindset is so debilitating though.

Take it from me (and Nike)–JUST DO IT!

Let me tell you a story…when I first began photography, before I started charging, and was still wondering if “I could actually do this,” we were hosting a little Friendsgiving at our house for us and two other couples. I told our friends, “I need you to bring a side dish and wear a cute outfit.” Sure, they were confused at first because I hadn’t told anyone that I really wanted to make photography a thing yet. But they did as I asked. Lo and behold, the weather even delivered and gave us SNOW on the coast! We spent the afternoon with our husbands, freezing our behinds off, having fun, and taking some photos. Mind you, this was when I still had to think out loud to be able to determine my settings.

And you know what? All that fear that I had leading up to mysteriously asking them to “dress cute” to come to my house? It all faded away because I was around people who supported me. When I told them what I was trying to do, they were MORE than onboard. In fact, they even braved the ice and snow in order to help me build my portfolio. I didn’t know how to pose. I was struggling with settings as my fingers froze. But I still got PRACTICE in that solidified my decision to become a photographer in the first place!

One of the best ways to build your portfolio is literally just to ask friends and family to “model” for you, just like I did! You have to start somewhere and what better place to start than with people who love and support your dream!? So push down the fear for the 10 seconds it takes to ask someone to be your model, then JUST DO IT!

If you need a cheerleader, I’ll be right here for you with my jazz fingers (since I don’t have pom poms)!

Now enjoy some images from my one of my very early shoots in the snow with friends in cute outfits. 🙂

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