A Chance at a Katelyn James Workshop!!!

So, I've been following this wonderful photographer named Katelyn James for a year or two.  Recently she's started hosting workshops and I've really, really wanted to go to one ever since she held her first one.  I've looked into going and the price has been way more than I can afford right now (it'd be more than I made in my entire year of photography last year), so I had settled for going to one when I start making more $.   (I've hoped and hoped I could maybe scratch together the $750 to go...in fact I was really considering it for this workshop...but the Lord has made another way for me that won't cost me anything!!)

Anyways, I'm really excited because she just mentioned (today!) on her blog that she's giving away one spot in her upcoming workshop!  I'm so excited!!  

In order to enter for the free spot, I have to write up my photography story and submit it to her.  I've already sort of done this on "My Equipment (and camera story!)" page, so I'm re-posting that info here in this post, as well as some more detail.

Here it goes!

My very first camera was a Sony DSC-N2.  It was a very nice camera, with tons of settings and a neat little touch screen!  After a while, for some reason my flash decided to quit on me.  It would flash every now and then, but the pictures would come out white or black...so it still didn't "work"! :)  I took lots of pictures of my family indoors so no-flash wasn't good.  Sometime around November 2008 a friend of ours let me borrow his Nikon D40 camera.  That was so exciting!  I was snapping pictures everywhere, thoroughly enjoying the professionalism of a DSLR! :-D  (To see some of my first pictures, go here) Since I was used to a hand-held camera, switching lenses and everything was some work but I didn't mind!  I had to give the camera back sometime before Christmas and I very soon lost my interest in taking pictures after going back to my Sony camera.  Daddy saw my lack of interest and started planning on getting me something better.

In January/February of 2009 another friend of ours' asked me to take pictures at her wedding.  It was 2 months after my 13th birthday and, after much prayer and emailing, I decided to accept the opportunity.  In order to do that, I knew I would need a better camera, but I certainly did not have the money.  Little did I know that Daddy had been secretly researching (some nights he was up past midnight!) everything about DSLR camera's.

Before bed at night, I would talk to my sisters about my intense desire for a better camera and, Hannah, my eldest sister, would just sweetly smile at me.  (Little did I know  that she knew Daddy was getting me one! :)

So, a few days before Valentine's Day a huge box arrived.  I thought it was for Mama, as Daddy loves to surprise her, but I was wrong.  Before we left for church, a night or two after the box arrived, Daddy suggested that we open the box.  Hannah made her way over to me and offered to take pictures (something she never does), and I gave her a puzzled look as she pushed me out of the way and towards the boxes.  I should've suspected something when everyone didn't start scrambling to open them, but I still didn't get suspicious.  Daddy pulled me onto his knee and told me to start opening the box.  I did and once all 4 flaps were open I saw the word "NIKON" and I think my mouth fell open (and the tears started coming!)!  I thought the boxes were for Mama and they were not!!!  They were for me!  Shocked, I took everything out and told Daddy thank you so much.  Everyone else was standing around smiling as Hannah took pictures.  (The pictures didn't turn out well because of the no-flash problem...)  Sadly we had to leave so we could go eat and make it to church on time, so I had to pull myself away.  When we returned home that night I snapped pictures until way beyond my bedtime (we charged the battery during church) and loved everything about it!

My first wedding went well...I got a few really great pictures but the majority of them were underexposed and had an ugly orange tinge.  I continued taking pictures with my new equipment, mostly photographing my extended family for Christmas pictures. :)  

Two years ago, in October, I photographed my second wedding for some friends at church.  I bought a 60mm Micro lens specifically for this wedding and I was glad that my pictures weren't as underexposed and orange-ish as my first wedding!  I also was a sort of "second shooter" for my uncle's wedding in November 2010.  

2011 brought me no weddings but multiple family sessions, a maternity session, and 2 engagement sessions!  I also started charging $75 in the summer (I was previously just letting people pay me what they thought was fair...I was just grateful for the opportunity. :).

This year I'm the main photographer at one wedding coming up in April and a "second shooter" for another wedding in March.  I'll probably be shooting some more family sessions as well, whenever the Lord brings them to me!

 

I'm also graduating from High School this year, so I'm very excited about starting to do photography full-time now!  I'm hoping to get a website, logo, business card, and everything before the end of this year and the Lord is already starting to bring the right people to me (more about that later).  

I have so much to learn about photography and yet I'm not sure where to look for the information.  I know that going to this Workshop by Katelyn James would really help me solidify my style, my look, and give me the tools and confidence I need to get better at my photography so that I can bring greater glory to the Lord. 

I would LOVE to go to this workshop.  I know I need help and I've known these workshops would help me A TON but I've never been able to go because of the price...until now!!  

Kimber :)

P.S. - I would add pictures to this post to make it more interesting but we're leaving in a few minutes, to go on vacation today (until Thursday), and we won't have internet there, so I have to do this post TODAY (before the contest is over tomorrow).  Otherwise, I'd add pictures, proofread, and make it sound better. :)  Thanks for bearing with me...and I'd love for you to pray that I win this contest!