Where is Waldo?

When I was a kid I often heard “Where’s Waldo”? Well Waldo was on the slide at the playground, he was at the beach peeping over Grandpa’s shoulder, hanging out with my friends, and he was photo bombing ever picture I took. You see when I was about 10 years old, my Mom had given me a little blue camera that would the stamp the image of Waldo on each picture I shot. I was painfully shy and had an awesome speech impediment. Mom said she thought the camera would help me learn to express myself: I think it was more to keep my sticky fingers off her camera. Either way, it was all mine and I loved it.

I spent countless hours snapping pictures; and my parents spent countless dollars on rolls of film and the cost to develop what was probably most often pictures of questionable quality. It is a testament of their love for me that they never complained. Not when I asked for yet another roll of film, not when I eagerly handed them a full roll to develop, or when I received that little envelope of pictures and wanted them to look at each picture with me. They always pointed out the best of my shots and never mentioned that stack that really needed to be plopped in the trash.

That little camera sparked a love for photography which was fanned by my parents. My Dad would tell me if I took my time, then I could tell a story with my pictures. He would remind me to look at the little details and find the beauty of any subject I was focused on. I found in pictures I could capture a fleeting moment, a dandelion wish, joy in a child’s face, and really just the beauty in our world around us. I could tell a story with a photograph in a way I never could never do in words.

That little blue camera opened many doors for me. One door reconnected me with a childhood friend who I had lost touch with for 14 years. We reconnected with the goal to teach one another and learn a little more about photography together. This grew into a friendship that has supported me in everything from photography, to helping me find the strength I needed to file for divorce, to deal with my son’s disabilities, and the deal death of my father. 

Her friendship also helped me take a leap of faith and we opened a photography studio together in 2011. Our first studio was a small office we renovated with big dreams and small wallets. Within a couple months we had outgrown the location and moved to a much larger space – both because of our customer base and the ridiculous number of props we had to have. All throughout this time I worked to hone my photography skills and continue to learn Photoshop. I learned everything from how to photograph those itty bitty babies to photographing the chaos of a wedding, I also learned more about business than I could have imagined was possible.

That little blue camera opened the door for me to find confidence in myself and learn I have the ability to capture a moment or tell a story that can be treasured for many lifetimes to come. Opening the door to the studio helped me grow as a photographer, move out of my comfort zones, to believe in myself, and to teach my children you can truly reach for your dreams. All of this was possible because my parents decided I needed answer the question of “Where’s Waldo?”.