06/06/2026
Feeling super emo today as I watch all my fellow photographers photographing CMA Fest weekend in Nashville.
I grew up on Tim McGraw’s “I Like It, I Love It,” Faith Hill’s “This Kiss,” “Let Me Let Go,” the Dixie Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces,” and so many more. I remember sitting in my parents’ car listening to country music every time we went somewhere as kids.
Then, when I was 13 years old, I heard a song called “Break Down Here.” There was this sadness in Julie Roberts’ voice that, for some reason, just clicked with me.
I never could have imagined that a song sung by Julie Roberts would literally change my life.
After that, I had dreams of moving to Nashville and working in the country music world that I idolized as a kid. And somehow, I did exactly that.
I moved there and lived there for two years. I worked with different artists, started working with Julie even more (and still do), met Marcus and began working with him, worked with Selah, got published in People and Billboard, walked the Dove Awards red carpet with Selah, and have had the opportunity to do so many incredible things.
In just a few weeks, it’ll be 20 years since Julie’s sophomore record, Men & Mascara, and we’re going to celebrate that at Chiefs in Nashville. It’s going to be such a special night.
What’s wild is that I still vividly remember June 27, 2006, when that album came out. My mom took me to Walmart before she dropped me off at my mamaw’s house for work, and I picked up Julie’s new record. She was the CMT Pick at the time, and the CD came with a special bonus DVD. Then we drove to Target so I could pick up that version too because it had the bonus track.
Those memories are still crystal clear in my mind. At the time, I was just a kid excited about a new album from one of my favorite artists. I never could have imagined those moments would somehow turn into this life I’m living now.
I think that’s why this weekend has me feeling all the emotions.
I’m thinking about what Nashville represented to me growing up, what country music meant to me as a kid, and where I am now as a photographer. I’m realizing how all the pieces somehow lined up perfectly.
The truth is, buying a camera when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing changed everything.
Sometimes it feels surreal. Like hearing “Break Down Here” all those years ago somehow set all of this in motion. One song. One dream. One camera.
I couldn’t sleep last night because I was feeling so emotional about it all. It’s raining today, and I’m still feeling some type of way.
Mostly, though, I’m just grateful.
Grateful for the music, the people, the opportunities, the friendships, and the journey that somehow brought me here.
Life is crazy sometimes and I don’t know how I got here. But, thank you God!
