The Ever Evolving Lens - July 28th 2025
For most of my life, I’ve done things… a little differently.
I’ve always walked a few degrees off center from the typical path, and honestly? I’m used to it. So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that when I picked up photography, I wouldn’t follow the usual road either—not in the way I approached it, not in the reasons I kept coming back to it, and certainly not in what I hoped to find through the lens.
These past four years have gone by in a blur.
The first two felt like a whirlwind—meeting new people, diving headfirst into genres I’d never tried, learning on the fly, absorbing every ounce of knowledge I could grab. There was an urgency to it. A hunger.
But this year…
This year has felt different.
Not in a bad way. More like a quiet reset.
Last year got chaotic—too many things pulling me in different directions, and not all of them tied to photography. Somewhere in that noise, I think I lost a bit of my touch. Not entirely, but enough to feel it. Enough to notice that something wasn’t clicking the same way it used to.
I still kept up with photography—just not at the pace I wanted, and not in the spaces that fill me most. I don’t feel like I’ve fallen back to zero, which is comforting. But I also feel like I’ve changed, and I’m not sure that what I once wanted from photography is still what I’m reaching for now.
There was a time I thought I wanted to turn it into a traditional business.
You know—family photos, senior portraits, events, the usual “people photos,” as I tend to call them. And I gave it a fair try.
But over time, I noticed something quietly shifting.
These days, I find myself more drawn to the stillness of wide open spaces.
To the quiet grace of bison crossing a sunlit plain.
To the way wind stirs tall grass. The way light sits patiently on old trucks, rusted but dignified.
I miss my Midnight Photography series—the solitude of it, the unpredictability, the way the world whispers in the dark when no one else is around.
And—maybe a bit unexpectedly—I’ve felt this pull to teach.
Not in a rigid classroom sense, but in a way that feels real and accessible. I want to share what photography has given me—the spark, the therapy, the wonder—so that others might feel that too. Whether they go pro or just find peace behind a lens, that’s up to them. For me, sharing is enough.
Let me be clear, though—I’m not turning my back on traditional photography.
I still appreciate it, respect it, and admire those who find joy and purpose in shooting weddings, portraits, and family sessions. That work is important.
I’m just forging a path that better fits me—my rhythm, my curiosity, my hopes for what photography could mean in the long run.
A path with more exploration. More personal work. More intention.
Truth is, I never found much “success” in the conventional business model.
A handful of clients here and there. A few great gigs, some less so.
But maybe success doesn’t have to look like a jam-packed calendar or social media algorithms working in your favor.
Maybe it looks like selling a print that makes someone stop and feel.
Maybe it’s going deeper into the genres I love and learning to shoot them with more soul, more presence.
Maybe it’s something a little less expected—like starting a small magazine, if the interest is there.
But for now?
I’m just going to keep doing what I do.
Keep pressing the shutter when something catches my breath.
Keep listening to the voice in me that still loves this whole, messy, beautiful process.
And I’ll keep writing down these thoughts, too—because sometimes, that’s how I hear myself most clearly.
Here’s to the next chapter—whatever shape it takes.
— A.H.
P.S. – Below are a few images I took recently, in preparation for an upcoming wedding. They fall under that “people photography” umbrella I mentioned above—portraits, candids, and some posed moments.
As you’ll see, I’ve become fairly decent at shooting portraits, and I honestly had a lot of fun creating these.
To be a bit more direct about what I wrote above: while I truly enjoy photographing people, it’s not the path I currently feel called to pursue as a career. At least not in the traditional, client-based sense. I’m exploring new directions, new creative ground. But I’ll always be grateful for these moments—and for the people who trust me to capture them.
Enjoy the photos.
And until next time—
I hope you have a wonderful day.
