The Brown Family

This beautiful family simply makes my heart melt! I've had the privilege to photograph this couple's love story…first with their Engagement, their Maternity, Elijah's newborn photos, Elijah at 6-months, and now they are pregnant with their second child! The four of us spent Sunday afternoon enjoying the first weekend of  the summer at a beautiful park called McDaniel Farm Park... a hidden gem, tucked away in plain sight. As they walked through the trails and discovered the barns, I followed along capturing the "in-between moments"…the laughter, and the love they have for each other.

Road Trip to Texas

When my fiancé got the news that he will be in officer training school in Texas for 3 months starting starting June 10, I decided that I would do the drive from Atlanta all the way to Wichita Falls, Texas with him. I thought to myself….

1. I wouldn't want him to drive 14+ hours alone

2. It could be fun to adventure together before he had to start his training…(maybe a mini pre-honeymoon trip?)

3. I've never seen much of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas…this could be fun! 

4. We would get to hang out with some of his family and friends, which I love dearly.  

So, I decided to embark on this adventure with him last Thursday. And boy was it an adventure...

It started out Thursday morning. We decided to stop by one of our favorite places for breakfast, The Flying Biscuit, before the long road trip began. The car was completely filled with all of his gear that he would need for the next 3 months. And who came along with us? Our doggies (stuffed version). No, these were not custom made stuffed animals. They were actually in the same store on the same shelves…side by side. I thought it was a sign that I had to buy them. I bring them to all of our adventures. :)

We drove from Atlanta all the way to Shreveport, Louisana the first day. Everything went pretty smoothly until we hit Meridian, Mississippi that afternoon. 

Moments after this photo was taken, we hit a MAJOR storm….Tropical Storm Andrea decided to challenge us. The hard rain made it difficult for us to see the road, even at 15MPH. There were cars that had stopped on the side of the highway. I told myself to keep breathing and pray that it would pass fast…however after 10 minutes my worried side told Chester to pull over. Even though it was as if we were in the movie Twister, he decided to keep going. I decided to text Chester's sister and brother-in-law to send us a quick prayer. And I kid you not…the moment I pressed 'send' on my phone, it was as if God turned off the storm. I could relax now…my legs were shaking like crazy. We conquered the storm! 

The photo above is before entering the storm and then the light at the end of the tunnel. :) 

The calm after the storm.

We hit Shreveport, Louisiana around 9:30pm and quickly found a hotel to rest our eyes. What hotel did we decide to stay at?….a hotel called Sam's Town Hotel…which included one of Shereveport's most famous casinos. No we didn't gamble, but we had to get a photo. 

After the photo was taken, we quickly climbed into bed to rest our eyes. The next day went a lot smoother…3 hour drive to Dallas, Texas to visit his cousin, his wife, and their beautiful son. We spent the whole day playing with the little one and catching up with each other's lives. 

Here's my wonderful fiancé, Chester and his cousin, DJ…one of his best men for our wedding. Yes, I said 1 of his best men. Chester is blessed to have 5 amazing guys to be his best men. :)

The photo above makes me happy every time I see it. As we were walking back to their house from the park, I told everyone to stop and we all said, "Noah jump!" SO CUTE! :)

I loved spending the whole day with this beautiful family. 

Watch out world, Noah is the new Superman! 

The next day, we met up with one of Chester's childhood friends and his beautiful wife. They showed us every bit of Dallas, Texas…and I mean EVERY BIT! It was a day filled with activities which included, a tour of Dallas by car, an AMAZING brunch, a walk to the park, a game of croquet, a free class of capoeira, went to the movies, a delicious dinner and some Bollywood videos. PHEW! What a day it was. 

 Jose is another one of Chester's best men for our wedding. Did I mention how blessed my man is? :-p He has the best family and friends who will always support him in our lives. 

On Sunday (our last day together) we drove 2 hours north of Dallas to a little town called Wichita Falls. This is where Chester will be spending the next 3 months at the training course. I had a flight to catch at 2pm back to Dallas then to Atlanta. Yes, maybe it was a bit crazy to drive up and fly down in the same day, but I wanted to see where he was going to be and help him move all of his stuff. After we toured the Airforce base and grabbed a quick snack at Starbucks, we drove to the airport.

And this was when things went wrong…As I went to check in at the airport, I notice that my flight to Dallas was canceled due to the weather. Weather!? I was just in Dallas, the weather was perfectly fine! Of course I did not want to argue so I asked what my options were. Their response was, "Oh we have a van that will take 10 passengers and drive to Dallas." AH! You have got to be kidding me…another drive back to where I was 2 hours ago?!

Holding back my tears, I quickly kissed Chester and said goodbye to my amazing fiancé. It felt like an endless road trip from Thursday to Sunday. 

After a  2 hour drive back to Dallas, then 2 hour wait for my next flight to Atlanta, and another 2 hours flying in..I finally arrived to the airport to find the most wonderful parents waiting for me with open arms. And when I got to their house, there were the two most adorable dogs, Moco and Luna to greet me with lots of slobbery kisses and love. 

Although the road trip was hectic, non-stop, and scary, I do not regret it at  all! I loved spending 13 hours in the car with the man who I love most. It will be a road trip that we will never forget!  

Jessica McCleskey

A few days ago, I got to meet the beautiful and inspiring, Jessica McCleskey Hood. I had the opportunity to take her head shots for her website. Jessica is a wonderful holistic health coach whose passion is to guide and support women in "creating a completely personalized 'roadmap to health' that suits their unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals." Her approach? She is not one to count calories, carbs, fats, etc… She will not restrict you from your favorite foods. Instead, she will work with her clients to create a happy, healthy life in a way that is flexible, fun and rewarding! AND, she is so much fun to be around with! During her shoot, we shared many stories, laughed endlessly, and danced in the field until the sun came down. I loved getting to know her and know you will too! She is a women't weight-loss expert, and has radically cracked the code on losing weight permanently. After struggling with weight-loss and body image issues for over two-thirds of her life, she finally created her own weight-loss system, lost over 50-lbs, and has kept it off permanently for years!

She has dedicated her life and career to helping empower women to learn a gentle, feminine and permanent solution to weight-loss that not only shrinks their bodies, but expands their lives, their passion, their creativity and their dreams.

To learn more about her work, go to her website: www.jessicamccleskey.com 

Jessica, thank you for sharing such a fun afternoon walking around Atlanta's neighborhoods and being such a joy to photograph! Can't wait for our next adventure:)

Feels like Christmas

Today is just another hot summery day….but it totally feels like Christmas in the studio because…There's a new toy that came in the mail! Meet the new and beautiful, Fujifilm FinePix X100! She is a beauty…I could stare at her all day.

Photography has always been a huge part of my life and my family's life. My grandfather always took so many photos and video of his 8 sons and daughters growing up. I recently got the chance to transfer all of the beautiful film and negatives into digital files and DVDs. I spend endless hours looking through all of the footage of my dad, uncles and my aunts growing up. I am so grateful that he documented their lives…a treasure that I will always cherish and pass on to my kids one day. One of the cameras he had was this gorgeous Leica film camera that got passed down to my father and now to me. It lays on one of my shelves in my house as a beautiful decoration, but I always love looking at it and thinking about mi Abuelo.

When I came across the Fujifilm FinePix X100 a few weeks ago at a lecture, I couldn't help but think of my grandfather's camera. It has the beautiful vintage feel that my grandfather's camera has and takes amazing digital photos. When I travel, I never leave my house without my big, chunky Nikon gear; however, now I can pack a few pounds less and not have neck pains when I go on my next family vacation! I am so excited to play with this new toy and share some images with you all! Stay tuned!

Featured: Authentic Beauty's Blog

My heart is filled with joy … I couldn't be more THRILLED to be featured on Authentic Beauty's blog today! ♥ Authentic Beauty is an amazing make-up and hair studio in Roswell! Their mission is to "provide you with the knowledge and skills to create an image that reflects your authentic self. Ultimately it's not about the makeup. We succeed when you look in the mirror and say, 'I AM BEAUTIFUL' and truly believe it."

Thank you, Authentic Beauty for your kind words! What a treat it is to work with you talented ladies! 

Beautiful engagement session + ZOMBIES

I remember as a little girl at every Christmas and New Years Eve, Ana and I would practice endless hours to perform a little dance in front of our family. Although I was not the best, she never gave up on me. Ana is not only my big cousin, she was always like a sister to me. Now we are both adults, engaged, and ready to be each other's bridesmaid this Fall. Ana and Adam started dating about the same time I started dating Chester. Its been exciting seeing how our relationships blossomed at the same pace. Last fall, I got the chance to capture these moments of the love birds and …oh yeah…a Zombie?!? Check it out for your self…. This was a first for me :)

Zombie series:

Abbi + John Paul are having a baby!

I have always been so close to all of my cousins; however, I clearly remember John Paul coming over to our house and playing with my brother and hearing them discuss their next BIG project like the potato gun or discussing on starting a band. Whatever they were up to, I always had fun observing their fun games and laughing with them whenever something went wrong. A year ago, John Paul married the love of his life and recently moved back to Atlanta….and now they are having a baby boy! I couldn't be happier for him and my NEW cousin, Abbi. The love and respect the two of them have for each other is just so inspiring and refreshing. And seeing them getting ready to meet their baby fills my heart with joy. They are going to be such amazing parents and role models to the little one…he is one lucky boy! :)

Abbi and John Paul, thank you all of your kindness and patience! I had such a wonderful time capturing these moments for you. I love you both so much. And I cannot wait to meet the little one! :)

With all my love,

Olga

The Proposal

Blessed. Happy. Fulfilled. Loved. Supported. Joyous. Peaceful. Grateful. These are all the feelings rushing through my body as I sit down and think about the man that asked me to marry him a year ago. Not only do I get to marry a man that makes me feel blessed, happy, fulfilled, loved, supported, joyous, peaceful, and grateful….but I also get to marry my best friend. Chester and I have shared so many amazing memories filled with laughter, smiles, and endless love notes. Our journey together has made me grow up into the woman I am today.

We met September 2009 at a college bar called..wait for it...Hole in the Wall. Who would have known that I would have met the love of my life, Chester, at this (literally) 'hole in the wall'. But there he was....tall, brown eyes, and handsome. He came up to me while I was 'working' as a photographer and asked if I wanted to go out for dinner the following night. My cautious side of me said, "don't you dare go out with this guy from THIS bar" ...so, I said to him, "Sorry I have a lot of studying to do."

(Side note: I was in art school....there wasn't THAT much studying to do)

So the next night, I went to one of my good friends' house and who was there??....Chester. I was so embarrased. Our eyes met, but we didn't say anything to each other the whole night.

But Chester didn't give up. He was persistent in getting me to go out with him. After 5 times of asking me out, I FINALLY gave in and agreed to go out on a quick date. Our first date included, a leather jacket, indian boots, Interstate 85 South with the beautiful Atlanta skyline, oh yeah and...a MOTORCYCLE! Was I scared? Yes, but he made me feel safe and secure. That night, I knew there was something special about this guy and wanted to know more.

We became close friends which led to an amazing relationship. He asked me to be his girlfriend on October 20, 2009 at the bicycle aisle at a Walmart.

We were inseparable. Until he was deployed to Qatar the following month for the Airforce. That time apart only made our love stronger and more attached. We skyped every day, learned new things about each other, and laughed endlessly.

Everything seemed simply perfect.

Two and a half years later, on May 15, 2012, my life changed forever. It was a beautiful spring evening. My parents had invited Chester's father and step-mother over for dinner because they were in town. On our way over to my parent's house, Chester quickly stopped by a store for a second to 'pick up something for his dad'...

Little did I know that thing was for me....

We finally arrived and had a beautiful dinner at my parent's back-yard with candles on the table....it was a perfect setting. We had a delicious meal; however, I started to develop an allergic reaction to the fish we had and quickly took a benadryl, which then made me feel tired and groggy. By midnight, we had all finished dinner (me...half asleep) and Chester starts to talk. I notice both of our parents starting to get all jumpy and next thing I know, Chester is down on one knee and asking me to marry him! My dazed and confused self, started to get all jittery and wide-eyed! Instead of saying yes, I repeatedly started to say "Are you serious??" I looked at the beautiful ring and finally said YES! :)

The guy from "Hole in the Wall" captured my heart and I couldn't be happier to marry my best friend on our fourth year anniversary, October 20, 2013!

Family is Life's Greatest Blessing

It is so hard to believe that its been 2 years since I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. Those four years at SCAD were filled with so many amazing memories, endless hours working on projects, intense critiques, wonderful classmates, and inspiring professors. I cannot thank my professors and classmates enough for all of their creative minds that has helped me be the artist I am today. I dedicated my senior project at SCAD to my family, the people who have inspired me most in my life.  When I think about my childhood, I think about all the amazing memories I had with my family…Sunday lunches with everyone at my grandmother's house, summers in Hilton Head trying to catch the waves with a boogie board, countless hours in the pool playing Marco Polo, playing tag in the neighborhood until our moms called us for dinner, and performing dances with my cousins on New Years Eve. I was blessed to grow up next door to my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I will cherish all of those memories forever. As I sit here and think about my time I’ve spent with each of my family members for this series, I ask myself, “Why haven’t I spent more time with Abuela and listen to her stories as a young girl?” “Why do I take for granted all those opportunities I went to go see Mami in Spain and didn’t take her outside when I knew we could have had a greater bond?” This project allowed me to have one-on-one time my relatives.  Having the photographs in front of my eyes, made me realize what is most important in life: family. Each moment with them was filled with joy, pure love, abundance of hugs, tears with some…true emotions. I valued every second I had with them and got a chance to connect in a deeper level. I cherish the moment of silence on the beautiful afternoon I shared with Mama, the walk by the Chattahoochee River with Papito, learning about Belen’s work at the vet, Ignacio’s dedication and passion for tennis, Abuela’s hugs filled with pure love and strength, Tio Pablo’s sincere gaze towards me, and my brother’s honesty.

Family is life's greatest blessing.

Gracias familia por una vida llena de alegría y amor. Os quiero muchísimo!

 

Family is Life's Greatest Blessing

It is so hard to believe that its been 2 years since I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. Those four years at SCAD were filled with so many amazing memories, endless hours working on projects, intense critiques, wonderful classmates, and inspiring professors. I cannot thank my professors and classmates enough for all of their creative minds that has helped me be the artist I am today. I dedicated my senior project at SCAD to my family, the people who have inspired me most in my life.  When I think about my childhood, I think about all the amazing memories I had with my family…Sunday lunches with everyone at my grandmother's house, summers in Hilton Head trying to catch the waves with a boogie board, countless hours in the pool playing Marco Polo, playing tag in the neighborhood until our moms called us for dinner, and performing dances with my cousins on New Years Eve. I was blessed to grow up next door to my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I will cherish all of those memories forever. As I sit here and think about my time I’ve spent with each of my family members for this series, I ask myself, “Why haven’t I spent more time with Abuela and listen to her stories as a young girl?” “Why do I take for granted all those opportunities I went to go see Mami in Spain and didn’t take her outside when I knew we could have had a greater bond?” This project allowed me to have one-on-one time my relatives.  Having the photographs in front of my eyes, made me realize what is most important in life: family. Each moment with them was filled with joy, pure love, abundance of hugs, tears with some…true emotions. I valued every second I had with them and got a chance to connect in a deeper level. I cherish the moment of silence on the beautiful afternoon I shared with Mama, the walk by the Chattahoochee River with Papito, learning about Belen’s work at the vet, Ignacio’s dedication and passion for tennis, Abuela’s hugs filled with pure love and strength, Tio Pablo’s sincere gaze towards me, and my brother’s honesty.

Family is life's greatest blessing.

Gracias familia por una vida llena de alegría y amor. Os quiero muchísimo!

 

Family is Life's Greatest Blessing

It is so hard to believe that its been 2 years since I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design. Those four years at SCAD were filled with so many amazing memories, endless hours working on projects, intense critiques, wonderful classmates, and inspiring professors. I cannot thank my professors and classmates enough for all of their creative minds that has helped me be the artist I am today. I dedicated my senior project at SCAD to my family, the people who have inspired me most in my life.  When I think about my childhood, I think about all the amazing memories I had with my family…Sunday lunches with everyone at my grandmother's house, summers in Hilton Head trying to catch the waves with a boogie board, countless hours in the pool playing Marco Polo, playing tag in the neighborhood until our moms called us for dinner, and performing dances with my cousins on New Years Eve. I was blessed to grow up next door to my grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I will cherish all of those memories forever. As I sit here and think about my time I’ve spent with each of my family members for this series, I ask myself, “Why haven’t I spent more time with Abuela and listen to her stories as a young girl?” “Why do I take for granted all those opportunities I went to go see Mami in Spain and didn’t take her outside when I knew we could have had a greater bond?” This project allowed me to have one-on-one time my relatives.  Having the photographs in front of my eyes, made me realize what is most important in life: family. Each moment with them was filled with joy, pure love, abundance of hugs, tears with some…true emotions. I valued every second I had with them and got a chance to connect in a deeper level. I cherish the moment of silence on the beautiful afternoon I shared with Mama, the walk by the Chattahoochee River with Papito, learning about Belen’s work at the vet, Ignacio’s dedication and passion for tennis, Abuela’s hugs filled with pure love and strength, Tio Pablo’s sincere gaze towards me, and my brother’s honesty.

Family is life's greatest blessing.

Gracias familia por una vida llena de alegría y amor. Os quiero muchísimo!

 

Living on One Dollar

I recently watched an amazing documentary called, "Living on One Dollar". The film is about four university students who decided to travel spend a summer with only $1 a day in a rural village in Guatemala. They battled with financial and emotional stress, diseases like E. Coli, and lost 20 pounds within 6 weeks. However, with all that they went through, they found "hope in the inspiring lives" of their neighbors and friends. Zach, Chris, Sean, and Ryan now dedicate their lives telling these stories to inspire the world to confront global poverty. To learn more about the film and their vision, go to their website www.livingononedollar.org Watching this movie brought me back to my travels to India and Ecuador. Last year, I had the opportunity to go on two missions trips with my fiancé, Chester. My amazing uncle is part of a nonprofit called Fundacion Ananta which helps people in need in Kolkata, India. And in August, we went with a group of wonderful nurses from a nonprofit called Nurses for the Nations to Ecuador. Chester and I were the translators as well as videographer and photographer.  You go on these trips thinking you are going to help someone in need…However, not only does that happen, but the people there help YOU out so much more. I was touched by everyone who I encountered in India and Ecuador. Although they had so little, their smiles were always filled with so much love. I was scared to pull out my big camera the first few days. I didn't want to intrude or make them feel uncomfortable. But by the second or third day, I gained a sense of courage and asked the people if I could take their photo. To my surprise, everyone I asked smiled and nodded yes. They were so open and willing to share their story within them. The best part? Seeing their reaction when I showed them their photo. Their faces would light up and their smiles would grow even bigger. The people in India and Ecuador taught me to have gratitude, to be close to my faith, to thank God for every moment in my life and all that I have, and to always love one another.

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. -Mother Teresa

Here are a few photos from both India and Ecuador.

To view the video Chester and I made, go to the following link: https://vimeo.com/45544070

Ecuador's video will be released soon!

Ecuador:

One of my favorite moments in Ecuador was letting the kids play with my camera and taking photos of us! I will cherish all of these moments forever!

Estudio Sol opening for Mother's Day

It has been 2 years since my beautiful mom and I opened Estudio Sol. Together we created a place where we meet our clients by appointment, a place were we do openings and present our latest works.  Ever since I was a little girl, I used to tell my mom, "I want to work with you one day, mom!". I was always so inspired by all of her amazing work. She always put so much love, joy, and passion into everything she created. I knew I was meant to become an artist as well. And here we are, working together, sharing beautiful memories together, creating together, and showcasing our works together! I feel so blessed to be able to work with her and call this my job. We will be opening Estudio Sol next Wednesday, May 8 from 10:30am - 1:30pm in honor of Mother's Day! My mom has been creating a new collection of necklaces and bracelets! They are filled with colors, happiness, and pure love! Bring your friends, enjoy some coffee at our studio…we are excited to spend some time with you! If that day or time does not work with your schedule, email me…we can meet another day!

To view my mom's work, click here!

Mom, thank you for always believing in me, supporting my dreams, and helping me become the women that I am today! Te quiero! 

“If you love your job, you haven't worked a day in your life.”

Recap

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”  - Marc Riboud Ok, I know I have been AWFUL at showcasing all of my personal projects, weddings, family shoots, beauty shoots, video shoots, mission work that I worked on this past year. And I promise to change this. Here is a small recap from some of the work that I have done over the last year. I hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I enjoyed working with all of these amazing people and capturing these moments.

Click the thumbnails to view the photos larger.

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Being vulnerable.

“Vulnerability is the only authentic state. Being vulnerable means being open, for wounding, but also for pleasure. Being open to the wounds of life means also being open to the bounty and beauty. Don’t mask or deny your vulnerability: it is your greatest asset. Be vulnerable: quake and shake in your boots with it. the new goodness that is coming to you, in the form of people, situations, and things can only come to you when you are vulnerable, i.e. open.”― Stephen Russell

From today on, I choose to be vulnerable. I choose to be open. I choose to share my journey. Over the past few days, I have been busy redesigning my blog. I have always had a journal where I outpoured my emotions, thoughts, prayers, ideas, and new goals. However, I recently ran into the quote above and decided to be more open. My blog is going to become my new journal. I want to share my life with all of my wonderful friends, family, and clients.

I will feel unsure, insecure, naked…but I know my family, friends, and clients will always be my biggest supporters. I feel so blessed to have such amazing people surrounding me and cheering me on. I thank every one of you!

I started a blog last year, but never kept up with it. I started by sharing my story about my voice condition that I was diagnosed with at the age of 12. To take a look back at that story, click here.

Melba and Alejandro Rosa's Wedding

What an amazing day filled with love, smiles, tears, and inspiration. Melba and Alejandro are not only a client of mine, but amazing friends to me. Their love for each other is so real and pure. When they first asked me to photograph their wedding I was so nervous because it would be my first. However, the more time I spent time with them and saw how relaxed they were, I knew they would be the perfect first wedding clients. :) Here is a little sneak peak of their special day!

Melba, you are stunning!

The best moment the whole day...when they first saw each other...priceless.

THE kiss shot at the ceremony :) It started to rain a little bit...perfect timing.

Since it started raining, we were unable to get all the shots we wanted outside so we took it inside to the bridal suite. This room was gorgeous!

Melba and Alejandro Rosa, I am so honored I got the photograph your special day. I wish you all the luck on this new journey.

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved"

-George Sands

Making Things Happen!

I had spent all Wednesday night tossing and turning. I was about to embark in a new journey that I had no idea where it was going to take me. I spent all day Thursday in an amazing workshop called Making Things Happen by Lara Casey. A good friend of mine, Amy, told me about how this workshop changed, not only her business, but her whole life. She insisted on me signing up. Without knowing anything about it or knowing what I was getting myself into, I registered that day! And I will NEVER regret not one penny that I spent.

What an amazing day filled with tears, laughter, honesty, fears, and enlightenment! I had no idea I was going to express so many emotions or meet such incredible women. When I first entered the room with butterflies in my stomach, I noticed I was the second girl there.  "What were were going to do?" "Are the girls going to like me and my story?" "What if we don't connect?" It felt like it was my first day at a new school or taking the SAT all over again. I felt so unprepared coming in. I didn't even know what to bring. As everyone started to come in the room, I could tell that we were all on the same boat...nervous. Suddenly, Gina tosses a box of tissues in the middle of the circle. Oh dear....here come the tears, we all thought. Emily, one of the mentors, told us, "Don't worry...within 3 minutes the nerves will go away." We all relaxed and began to laugh.

The whole day consisted of sharing our stories, confronting our fears, making a list of what we want to achieve in life and our businesses and how we are going to make it happen. We all connected with each other...made each other laugh, cry, and smile. We talked about pursuing our dreams, leaving our jobs that we hate, and creating balance between work and family.  After the workshop ended, it wasn't a goodbye to my new family. This is JUST the beginning....we are creating a community where we can trust, tell each other anything, help each other succeed, but most importantly, it is a place where we can be ourselves.

I feel excited, light, inspired, happiness, love and pure JOY about my new journey! I am ready to Make Things Happen!

Taking a leap!

I have always wanted to start a blog for my business but there was always a part of me that was scared...scared of being judged, scared of putting myself out there, and scared people would not even look at it.  It was not until this past Monday when I attended Jasmine Star's event. Jasmine Star is not only an amazing wedding photographer, but also a inspirational woman who has a passion for helping other photographer's reach THEIR dreams. At the event she didn't talk about her success, she talked about her struggles in life. How her struggles made her change...change into this beautiful and strong person. She asked us to think about our struggles and how we can convert them into something beautiful. At the end of the event, I got a chance to quickly say hello to her. I told her about my struggles and how I am fearful of people judging me. She responded by saying, "Olga, you NEED to put it out there! Tell your story." That simple sentence brought me to this moment...I am starting this blog because I want to tell my story.

I am an aspiring photographer who thrives to photograph the beautiful moments in life. To simply make one smile. To take them out of reality and let them live in the moment of the photograph. Leaving all negativity aside and gain a sense of optimism and serenity.

So what is my struggle? 

At the age of 12, I started to develop a voice condition called Spasmodic Dysphonia. It was supposed to be a time to grow up, a time to have sleepovers with my friends, and a time to dream about who I wanted to become. Instead, I was asking myself "Why do I sound so different? "Why can't people understand me?" "Why can I not express myself?"  From then on I began to loose my confidence, loose my friends, and loose my identity. It has been years of visiting different doctors  trying to see of ways to overcome this "sickness". Apparently the only way of "curing" it is to inject botox in one of my vocal cords every 3-5 months for the rest of my life. But even that cannot guarantee my voice back for those few months. It was not until probably two years ago that I began to notice the good about my diagnosis. God has a plan for all of us. I was given this voice for a reason. But what is that reason? It has been an intense journey of redefining who I am. I have learned to live my life in a whole different way. I began to observe the world...I noticed the beauty in every situation. I surrounded myself with people who love me for ME. Since my voice has had this condition, my camera became my new voice. I started capturing my surroundings. It allowed me to express myself again and eventually I became addicted to this new world. So now that I have a better understanding of my journey in my life, I am ready to LET GO...AND GO FOR MY DREAMS! 

But what are my dreams? My dream is to stop letting my voice take over my confidence. My dream is to capture the beauty from within and the beauty this world has to offer. I want to connect to people and have them not focus on my voice but my words. I want to feel worthy again. Some people call Spasmodic Dysphonia a disability...I call it a gift from God.