02/13/2026
It feels so incredible to say that as of today, February 12th, 2026 I am a full-time photographerš„¹ I did it
Iām thinking about 14 year old Emma, who took that photography class in 8th grade that sparked her love for the art. Shoutout to Mrs. Fingland for the only āformalā education I received for what I do.
Iām thinking of Emma at 17, who started her business photographing seniors after being the people section editor of the yearbook. Shoutout to Ms. Katzive for encouraging my love of documenting memories and giving me some of my first photography ājobs.ā
Iām thinking of Emma at 18, starting at CU Boulder while saying āyeah college is my backup plan.ā Insanely expensive backup plan, but you go girl
Iām thinking of Emma at 19. She dropped out of college. I want to hug her. She was burnt out and crushed by the weight of what it might mean to leave after working so hard to set herself up for success. Iām forever grateful to the CMCI counselor who made me tea and normalized college not being the right fit for everyone. I left her office feeling better than I had in a long time.
Iām thinking of Emma at 22, who decided to start documenting love. Iām thinking of Emma at 23, she did not give up on her photography dreams, even though her mental health told her to give up on everything. Iām thinking of Emma at 24, she really started taking her craft to the next level and continued to reinforce the belief that it was not an āifā but āwhenā for going full time.
Finally, Iām thinking of 25-year-old Emma. Last year, she alchemized all that momentum into the busiest and most fulfilling year yet. She learned to really trust herself and let go of trying to control every single thing ever.
Over the last decade, Iāve learned what my art is rooted in and what it means to feel truly grounded in my purpose. I couldnāt have done this without the support of my clients, family, and friends. Thank you so much to you all! Special shout out to my husband Bryan, I could not have asked for a better partner to love and encourage me through all of thisā¤ļø
cheers to 26 year old Emma for going full timeš„¹šø
