If you would have told me this time, 9 years ago, that I would be where I am in my life, I would have bet all odds that you would be wrong. Sitting here with this couple, on their engagement photoshoot at Rice University a few weeks ago, I walked away with a clarity I hadn’t had in a long time.

I met this beauty, J, supporting a charity (that came with a yearly powder puff flag football game, DUH!) and I can tell you purely that she’s as beautiful of a personality as she is a person. Her smile, so genuine, her energy so uplifting, it just got me thinking about my life and where I am now. I’ve been professionally photographing people, things, and my own life for 10 solid years (actually knowing what I’m doing, not to mention the few before that when I didn’t!) I risked so much that day, taking out a staggering amount of credit to purchase my new set of equipment. I had no business plan, no strategy but a healthy bit of hope and desire to photograph the people and things around me in as much clarity as I could afford or know how. I thought about the reality of that when I walked away and was hit with an overwhelming sense of appreciation for the people in my life now and the things I’ve been able to see, experience and come to understand since I’ve been in Houston.

I think that people who can be in your life and provide you with a “wake-up moment” whether you’re with them just a couple of hours or through years, those people are special, different. I’m glad I had no fear going into such an investment of camera equipment, or at least that I was too young and dumb to know the difference. Haha! It was a survival instinct and man, when I look back now, at these effortless moments between a soon to be, newlywed couple, I can’t ever imagine not having the resource to capture these moments for people. Congrats to you both J + R! Thank you for the opportunity and I wish you all the best!