Through My Lens: Why I Am Hard on Myself

People sometimes say I am hard on myself. They are right.

What most do not see are the long hours behind the scenes. The overnight editing sessions. The nights with little sleep while learning photography, studying light, and teaching myself Photoshop until it finally made sense.

My heart and soul are in this work. So is a significant financial investment in equipment, education, and growth. This is not casual for me. This is passion.

I do not want to put out work that feels rushed, careless, or incomplete. If an image carries my name, it needs to reflect my standard. Not perfection, but intention.

When someone chooses me, they are not just booking a session. They are trusting my experience, my knowledge, my patience, and my photography style. They are trusting that I will see their animal the way they do.

That responsibility matters to me.

I replay sessions in my mind. I zoom in on details others may never notice. I adjust, refine, and sometimes redo because I know what the image can become.

I am hard on myself because these portraits are more than photographs. They are memories.

They are personality captured in a single frame. Sometimes, they become irreplaceable.

Every animal that steps in front of my lens deserves my very best. And that is the standard I hold myself to.

I am hard on myself because it matters to me. It is my heart work.

When all you have left are photographs, it matters.

As Frida Kahlo said, “I paint flowers so they will not die.”  I take photographs of our pets to honor their lives forever, through my lens.

Stay tuned, in the next blog post, I’ll pull back the lens and look at dog body language.

"Created with patience. Captured with heart. Every dog is a masterpiece of unconditional love."

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