.....to 2010.....A long time ago when I was just starting out in this photography business, someone once told me to find a couple photographers that I liked the style of and then soak up everything you could from them.So, I did.Nine years ago, I went WAY out of my comfort zone and signed up for a workshop held at the studio of Audrey Woulard.  It meant getting to Chicago & doing a bunch of scary things that I wasn't used to doing. My sweet husband drove me up there on a Friday afternoon (because flying would have pushed me over the edge), and I'm sure he will tell you that the only thing he remembers is this....He was not a fan of 5:00 Friday Chicago traffic....ha!Anyway, I spent the next two days soaking it up.  Even though I had been shooting for a year professionally, that weekend was a game changer for me.  So many things clicked....from light to client interactions to camera settings to editing to studio setup....This is where I realized that photography was science that produced art. It was truly a turning point because of everything I learned.  That weekend, I quickly shifted from trying to take any photos of the models to taking photos of the photographer with her models, partially because I knew I didn't have the gear that I wanted in order to create the images I wanted and partially because I wanted to remember how she worked her magic.I already knew that I wanted to recreate what she created in her camera, but it was at this point that I realized she was creating so much more.And in terms of studio?  Goodnesssss....Her studio was a big draw to me.  I loved the white wall and knew I wanted something similar.  A year later, I had a white infinity wall in my newly built studio. She was also the one who made me realize that getting all my adjustments made in camera meant less editing time.  And who's got time for that? :-) Now, fast forward to 2019.  Earlier this year, I saw where Audrey was coming to Kansas City.  I knew she had added in some artificial light with her natural light, so I was curious.  And, honestly, it would be nice to have a break from shooting mid-October and this seemed like a nice way to get it. Fast forward to today.  I'm still digesting some of the technical things I learned from the past weekend but I am excited to try it out and make it my own.  There's also some satisfaction in the fact that I'm still here.  Nine years later and I can see how much my work has progressed, and continues to.  Sometimes - and this is for any profession - you start to wonder if you're really doing any good.  Am I still where I started or have I changed enough to be valuable to people?  Saturday helped me justify the hard work, endless hours, and lotsa money spent on trying to make this thing a go.And I have Audrey to thank for a good chunk of that.  I am so appreciative of what she taught me, and continues to teach others, all with respect for each photographer's style and preferences.But we're not done there.  Because the cherry on this photographing mom's day was that my kid got to go and stand in front of the cameras.  Some late model dropouts meant that my girl went and tried something new so that a bunch of people could try something new too.  She's only ever "modeled" for me, so she felt lost but she did a great job.  And now, I'm blessed to have a piece of Audrey's work that means so very much to me.  This is Audrey's image of my girl.<3{thank you,="" audrey,="" for="" everything.}feel="" free="" to="" come="" back="" in="" a="" few="" days="" to="" see="" my="" take="" &="" on="" the="" images="" i="" captured="" and="" how="" i'm="" applying="" the="" new="" things="" i="" learned.=""  in="" the="" meantime,="" check="" out="" some="" of="" aw's="" amazing="" work.=""  she="" also="" has="" a="" few="" more="" workshops="" coming="" up....maybe="" it="" will="" be="" a="" game="" changer="" for="" you="" too.=""  http://www.alwphotography.com="">