Why I find joy in photography

For my first post, I thought it’d be appropriate to share a little of my heart behind my topic. As you probably have seen by now, my blog is centered on photography. Photography is a pretty common hobby, especially here in Nashville, but to me, photography is so much more than a hobby.

Growing up in Memphis, I was exposed to poverty and brokenness. At some point, the sadness became overwhelming. I constantly found myself searching for happiness.

The Lord worked on my heart and taught me to find joy in my circumstances. I found an intense desire and love for capturing those special moments and clinging to them through heartache and sadness.

I believe that in my life photography is a place of joy, and I want to share just glimpses of that with you.

One of the first times I realized the impact of photography in my life was in Ghana, Africa, another place where I saw extreme poverty and hardships. In the middle of an orphanage in West Africa, I encountered some of the purest forms of joy.

Meet Pajoe. This guy right here has changed the way I look at life. I mean, look at that smile! By looking at this picture, you would never know that his life has had more tragedy than most adults have faced.

When Pajoe was younger, he lived with both of his parents and his sister. One night, he hid as he watched his parents get murdered. Being orphaned, Pajoe and his sister were left to live on the streets. One night, a car came speeding by, killing his sister on impact, and crippling Pajoe’s foot.

Left with no family, Pajoe eventually made it to the Village of Hope Orphanage. Here, Pajoe has found a family in Christ and has the ability to go to school- something many children in that area do not get to do. I am extremely blessed by just knowing Pajoe, and I hope you can be, too.

Photography is the place where I can find my joy, and I encourage every one of you to do the same. So, where do you find your joy, and how do you cling to it?