We are still waiting to wake up from this crazy dream over here. My arms are literally still bruised from all the pinching. There are no words to explain the out-of-body experience I've had over all of this. For those of you a month from now that don't know what the heck I'm talking about, I took a funny photo. It went viral (scroll down to see pic and story). I was over-joyed when local News Station, WBIR Channel 10 heard about this moment I captured at Michelle and Anthony's wedding on June 13th at Maple Grove Inn in Knoxville and wanted to interview Anderson (the flower girl) and myself for a short piece. WBIR titled the photo, "Flower Girl Wants a Kiss Too" for their story that aired on the local 6:00 news broadcast in Knoxville last Tuesday. (see full broadcast, here.)
After opening up the story to be picked up by any NBC affiliates, USA Today was the first to air the story nationally. After that, it went viral in less then 24 hours. And can I just say, that any single mother out there that is SOLELY running their own small business could imagine how over-whelming it became. All day Wednesday and Thursday was spent answering phone calls and emails that resulted in being featured on CNN, NBC, USA Today, Today Show, GMA, The Chive, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed,... and the list goes on (along with several news media outlets from overseas). While I was ecstatic about the instant 5 minutes of fame my photo and clients were receiving, I also began to have some stress and anxiety. As a wedding photography business owner, my clients are top priority and I started to worry about their privacy and the possible unwanted attention this might cause. Anthony and Michelle were honeymooning last week in Jamaica while all of this was blowing up in the US. After a few short texts from the groom, I was comforted knowing all was well and they were kicking back on the beach, laughing at it all (with their Red Stripe beers in hand of course).
What does going “viral” mean to me?
Today, exactly one week after the viral monsoon that washed over my life for a brief moment, I have had some time to reflect. As human beings, we all ponder the same thoughts of finding our purpose in life, if not once or twice, several times during the course of our lives. I too, do my share of purpose pondering. And from a business standpoint, as a photographer, as an artist, I made a decision THIS very year to shift my focus in my work. I want to shoot with purpose.
I had a very personal experience not too long ago, where I heard God speak to me while I was at a bible study at church. Now, before you stop reading and write me off as a “religious freak from the bible belt,” you should know that I am not one that has had these moments in my life come about very often, nor would anyone that knows me describe me as an “uber religious bible freak.” I rarely hear God’s voice and this might have been the only time I was actually sure what I heard and who I was hearing it from. As I deepen my faith and relationship with Him, I am becoming more in-tune and aware of His presence. I felt God was telling me that He has given me this talent for a reason and I needed to share it. I spent time trying to figure out how I could use my photography to honor God. My ultimate goal has always been to capture the authentic moments, the moments that give you goosebumps and to shoot them in such a way that is artful and really pulls at your heartstrings. My new focus, while still keeping the previous goal in tact, is to strive to capture the moments that showcase the love we experience on Earth that is much like the love God has for us.
This photograph was taken by me. This cute moment showcasing the sweet innocence of childhood, that is now frozen in time, was taken by me. By my brain, telling my finger to click the shutter at that very moment. The magnitude of exposure that this photo has gained, has brought a smile to the faces of millions of people across the world. And the very thought that for a brief moment in someone’s day, I have taken their mind away from the struggles they are facing, from the pain they are going through and helped them to forget the awful things happening in the world around them, tells me I have served a purpose. I have made an imprint on this earth. This is by far the biggest award I could ever receive. Today I feel blessed to be on this Earth. I feel blessed to have a gift to share and will never forget how this moment made me feel. I hope that my story sparks a light in your heart to make a difference in someone’s life, if even for a brief moment. And pursue your passion, I mean really pursue it. Dissect it and figure out how it can be used for good because it was put there by God and shouldn’t be ignored.
