TSPP aka Best Week Ever
At the beginning of this year, I had a feeling in my heart that 2017 was going to be a year of growth for me in my personal life and especially in my business. One of the biggest growing experiences for me so far, this year has been when I made the commitment to go to Texas for the Texas School of Professional Photography. That journey came about by some special people in my life believing in me and encouraging and supporting me in more ways than one, that I was good enough to go to this wonderful school. Words cannot express how much that support and love means to me.
Texas School 2017: How do you put into words the impact of such a life changing experience? I cannot even begin to describe how much my class and especially my instructors have changed my life in one week. That week was so much more than a learning experience, it was a journey! I had the privilege to get to learn and grow with some amazing people that choose the same amazing class as I did. Steve Winslow and Sophie Lane taught my class, and in one short week, their passion and hearts for photography, pushed me to grow professionally and personally.
A little over 3 years ago when I lived in Waco, God placed the dream of pursuing photography in my heart. I did a lot of praying about it and knew this was a part of Gods plan for my life, and decided to dive into it. However, over the past 3 years I have struggled with fears and doubts that threatened to derail me from this path that God put me on. Thoughts like “your never going to be that good, those photos are horrible, and you don’t have the gear that so and so has.” Steve and Sophie spoke to pretty much every one of those fears and doubts over the course of that week. I left TSPP filled with so much knowledge, but also with a new light and confidence that Yes, Yes I can do this!!!
You cant help but be energized and encouraged when you get to be around such amazing people like Steve and Sophie. The whole week of Texas School their passion spilled over and touched the minds and hearts of our whole class. I prayed for guidance when picking a class to attend, and boy God answered my prayer with the Light It Up class. I got to learn about studio lighting, natural lighting, posing and the main thing…. building relationships. It was amazing and eye opening to get to learn from such accomplished photographers. Their humility and willingness to share of themselves made me feel worth it as photographer. Even when they gave feedback on a photo taken or how to handle certain things better during a photoshoot, I didn’t feel judged, even if I had made mistakes (which I indeed did). The negatives were critiqued but the positives were also praised. Have I convinced you of how amazing my teachers are yet?
Not only did I have amazing teachers I had amazing classmates. The talent and skill of my classmates was so inspiring. We all came from different backgrounds and walks of life, and through that I got to see photography from so many other different perspectives. No one judged the other, and everyone encouraged each other, and were so willing to share ideas and even gear. I made some new and amazing friends, and learned so much from each and every one of those wonderful and amazingly talented people. By the end of the week, it was hard to say goodbye to everyone because we had become like family.
We also were blessed to have amazing wranglers for our classroom. Bobby and Janna worked so hard to made the whole week enjoyable and easier on all of us. Not to mention they are amazing photographers as well! Just talking to them and asking their opinion on different topics opened my eyes to many different perspectives and options for different photography situations. They got me thinking outside of the box! Gosh their help and support that week for all of us was so amazing!
Of course, with learning comes a bit of fun. Cue the pirate movies and songs. There was a pirate themed party. Let me just say from someone who is a introvert, it took a lot of self-motivation to walk out of my hotel room dressed like a pirate. But gosh I am glad I did! It was so much fun, and yall….I got out on the dance floor too. We wont talk about what a dork I looked like dancing, but hey I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and it was awesome.
Hold the laughter guys, I know I look a bit silly…..ok, ok go ahead, I laughed at my appearance too. Maybe next year I will put together a better-looking costume.
I don’t know what everyone’s first year at Texas School is normally like, but my first year was one that made a huge impact on my life, and left me wanting more. Now I see why people light up when they talk about TSPP, and why they come back year after year. I do not want to miss getting to go to Texas School, from now on, and I plan on making this a yearly thing!
Thank you, thank you Steve and Sophie for sharing your joy and passion for photography with all of us! I am so blessed to call you mentors! I am forever grateful for Steve and Sophia, my amazing new friends and the amount of knowledge and experience I gained from TSPP 2017. I cannot wait to do this again year after year.