Finding Purpose in Photography

photo edu

As humans, we have an innate desire that seems at times to guide our every move—a desire for purpose.

We want to find meaning in everything we do, from the side hustles to the bigger career ambitions. For me personally, this desire is amplified as I find myself searching for meaning more than just for myself, but meaning through Christ. I want each thing to which I dedicate time (and, eventually, my life) to reflect back on my Maker. I want to be His hands and feet to all those I encounter and, for the longest time, I was struggling to find this meaning in photography.
 
For those who don’t know me super well, I actually graduated college with a degree in Education and accepted a position at a low-income Catholic school as a high school math teacher. It was easy enough for me to find meaning in teaching, because I’m educating young minds and shaping our future generation. In fact, it was simple enough to even enhance that meaning by not only pursuing a position at a Catholic school, but also one that caters specifically to the needs of low-income, inner-city youth. At times, the meaning I found in this calling felt almost irresistible, quenching a thirst that I hadn’t realized I’d had.
 
Photography was a little different. Since high school, I've found myself chasing after this creative gene that wouldn’t leave me alone until I finally decided to woman-up, hone my craft, and make it into a business. But how was I going to find a deeper meaning in something that I (at the time) just saw as a way to make a profit and satisfy my need for a creative outlet in the face of so many math classes?
 
In spite of myself, I pursued photography because something about it continued to draw me in. I figured that the Lord wouldn’t give me this skill and desire if He didn’t plan on using it to make good in the world. This is a thought that I put on the back-burner until a few weeks before my big move out West when I had a headshot session scheduled with a friend who was still on the job market and needed a way to stand out to potential employers. Little did I know that this seemingly routine session would finally help me make some significant headway in answering my persistent question about purpose in this field.
 
My friend and I met up near his apartment, which was in an older part of the city with plenty of natural light and simple, classic backdrops perfect for street photography and portraits. After jumping from brick wall to brick wall, we hit a sweet spot with the white backdrop of a garage in a back alley. The lighting was absolutely pristine + clean, and he stood out in the best way. His cheekbones popped, and his serious stare was a look you didn’t want to break. When I showed him the first few photos, his smile was something I aim for in each and every one of my shoots. I love witnessing the joy that a high-quality photo can bring to someone, and oftentimes the relief that a person feels when they know at least one of the photos is what they’ve imagined it would be.

But there was something else in his eyes, too, and in the way he held himself after looking at those first few shots. The rest of the session went really smoothly after that, and when I let him flip through the raw files as we wrapped up, he finally explained the look in his eyes. He told me about how he had always felt really self-conscious whenever he was placed in front of a camera, or even sometimes when he looked in the mirror. He didn’t feel as though he looked the way he wanted himself to, and he was worried this session would just confirm the concerns he’d always had with himself. But through my photographer’s eye, I was able to boost his confidence to a new level. He could finally recognize the beauty that was in him, and he could see that looking good and feeling confident wasn’t for everyone else, but something he could have (and already possessed).
 
And that’s not all. He was able to give me something in return—he took some photos of me in the stellar lighting and backdrop, as well. It was a moment that photographers dream about, where the light accents all of the right angles and a subject’s confidence is at an all-time high. It’s moments like these that produce the absolute best images. And it's moments like these that give me the purpose I’ve been seeking. If I can use photography to show people their own beauty as others see it, boost their confidence, and help them feel self-assured enough to truly attain their goals and reach their loftiest ambitions, then I’ve done my job.