It feels weird to know that this whole journey is actually going beyond a pipe dream. I recently purchased a website to showcase my work at www.tengbergphotography.com , I’ve had 4 shoots in the last month alone, and I’m well on my way to purchasing my new and improved camera. I have to say that life feels pretty amazing right now!

I’ve had the dream of being a photographer since I was in high school. I always loved taking pictures and once I got to college I knew that I wanted it to be my career. I minored in photography at NAU and once I graduated I unfortunately didn’t follow my dream. But no matter what job I took, it never fulfilled me the way photography did. Any chance that I got to do a photo shoot I was on top of. Before I moved down to Phoenix in 2003 I had shot a couple of weddings and many portraits in Flagstaff. The feeling I got from shooting was like no other feeling, and to get paid to feel that way was an added bonus. Once I moved down to Phoenix I shot every chance that I got but by no means was it on an ongoing basis, it was actually much less than I had hoped. The problem was that I had no connections. Therefore, I had no idea how to market myself. And so I went along and shot when I had the opportunity and hoped that word of mouth would take me somewhere.

Then one day one of my best friends that I met in photography class while I was attending NAU, decided that she was going to go pro. And before I knew it, she was! She constantly pushed me to get back into photography and to actually make a life out of what made me happy. Her and I spend many conversations on the phone discussing ideas and she walks me through all of the things that I have yet to learn or that I have forgotten. She is my “life coach”. I recently assisted her at a wedding at Firesky Resort and it was an amazing day. It made me want it even more after seeing how everything works for a professional. And when I saw the pictures afterward, I was astonished, as I always am when I see her work. You can visit Sarah Hagerty at www.hagertyphotography.com .

Then there is Eunice with www.eunicebrownlee.com. She is a friend I have had since high school. We used to write journals back and fourth to each other at school. She was my guinea pig on numerous occasions. One of my favorite shoots in college was of her eating Haagen Daz ice cream on a pier at the pond in Flagstaff. The stuff was dripping all over her face and I was capturing it all on film. Oh yes! FILM! I still have those pictures to this day and I giggle when I look at them. We lost touch a few years back and went our separate ways. Then, thanks to Facebook we found each other again. And to my surprise she had become a photographer in her own right. She told me that I inspired her to become a photographer when I used to do photo shoots of her. Wow, was that ever a compliment. And now here she is with more knowledge than I would know what to do with. She is my Muse. And she gives me so much advice and leads me in directions I didn’t even know existed. She is there for me on a daily basis and is the reason I bought my website finally.

She is also the reason for this blog. Her and I have decided that we are going to find a weekly subject to shoot. And when the week is through we will post our favorite picture for the world to see. I have to say, this is pretty exciting to share an experience like this with someone you hold near and dear. So this past weeks theme was “In my yard”. Although it didn’t have to actually be “In my yard” because if it was I would be in trouble. I don’t exactly have the nicest looking yard yet. So my shot is of a river in Connecticut from when I visited last week.  So…. Enjoy Eunice and the rest of the world. :)