A brief introduction...Why I became a commercial photographer.

A little bit about me: I started my professional photography career over 20 years ago as a portrait photographer, school portrait photographer for LifeTouch Studios ( a national school photography chain). I transitioned from that to my own studio shooting mostly family portraits & high school seniors then to mostly weddings and eventually to teaching photography & Lightroom. Along the way I had 8 beautiful children, helped run a family excavating business, started and ran a cleaning business and a holistic health care product business. I earned my CPP (Certified Professional Photographer) certification. Eventually I navigated through big life changes and found myself as single mom, leaving friends, family and a religious cult behind and relocated to a new community.... a new life. Through an in-depth personal re-evaluation and a lot of soul searching, I came to the conclusion that professionally I needed to go back to what I'd originally wanted in my photography career, I wanted to do commercial advertising work.

I'd been told by my parents, my former spouse and many friends that southern Utah was too small for a commercial photographer but I went for it any way and although its not been easy, I don't regret it. I love helping businesses be more successful and professional looking in their advertising. Its extrememely fulfilling to see struggling businesses take off and succeed. I love the constant change of new projects, the learning of new skills and techiniques, the collaboration with clients, stylists, makeup artists & models to bring a concept to life. Its a wild, crazy ride and I find it exhilarating!

Choosing to follow my heart opened up my life in so many ways, it has CHANGED ME.

Everything in my life is better now. I moved to a new community, I challenged myself to do new things. I began to explore who I am, not limited to other peoples ideas and perceptions. I worked damn hard and built a business while being a single mom working at least two jobs and homeschooling children at the same time. I took up hiking and 4x4ing, I learned to scuba dive, I travelled, I met new people I started my life over free from the life I'd had living in a cult. It was amazing, beautiful and damn scary all at the same time!

So now I'm on to another chapter I got married, I'm trying out organic flower farming and I'm soon to be moving my studio to a new town. Life is still a challenge but LIFE IS GOOD. So follow along with me on my journey, I hope you can find something of value on this blog.

Please reach out and let me know what you'd like to see here.

Carole shooting on location at a bakery in St. George, Utah