The first time I called myself a "photographer"

This may surprise you but I didn't take photography in high school, I didn't get my undergraduate degree in it, and I wasn't traditionally trained. My photography journey actually started by just saying "why not?!".

It was a sunny summer day in Los Angeles. I was only 18 and working my first corporate job at UCLA when I got a call from one of my friends who was planning a trip to New Zealand. As she was telling me all about her trip, and I was expressing my sincere jealousy, she jokingly said I should drop everything and come too. I hesitated for a moment, then decided to throw caution to the wind and said, "why not?!". Within 15 minutes I had my flights booked and an appointment set to get my passport, and of course those lovely little butterflies in my stomach from the thought of a new adventure. We'd leave in only 6 weeks!

My first camera - a Nikon D5100

Later that night I found myself searching Amazon for a digital camera. I'd had a small point and shoot camera for years that I took everywhere, but I wanted something more robust to capture these amazing memories in a foreign country. I ended up deciding on a Nikon D5100. It was all I could afford and I felt like I'd just purchased a Ferrari. Little did I know this would be the start of my path with Nikon cameras.

The trip was amazing and I made my friend model for me non-stop. Looking back I had no idea what I was doing, my pictures were all slightly blurry, but man was it fun!

That's when my passion for travel and photography was ignited. When I got back home, I asked everyone to model for me so I could practice.

Fast forward a few years I'd come up with a name, "Frozen Flame Photography", and I got my first gig! It was a wedding and engagement shoot and I only charged the couple $100, and I was very transparent about my experience, or lack thereof. I did the job with one of my friends and this was the first time I truly felt like a photographer. The guests addressed me as one of the 'photographers'. "Oh, ask the photographer", "Listen to the photographer".

After that, my confidence increased significantly. I started taking more lessons and was no longer hesitant when I called myself a photographer. It was still one of the best decisions of my life.