Photography changed more than the camera in my hands. It changed the way I see the world around me. Looking back at where I started, I’ve learned to slow down, observe more, and sometimes realize the moment matters even when I never press the shutter.

Photography doesn’t end when I press the shutter. Some of the most important work happens afterward, during the countless hours of editing, learning, second-guessing, and growing. The People’s Choice Award became a reminder that all of those unseen hours mattered.

A photograph can preserve 1/3200 of a second. But what about all the moments happening around it? Sometimes the most important thing a photographer can do is lower the camera and simply be there.

Failure, the greater teacher.

Meet My Mother, Laurie.