Every photographer has that one moment—the moment when they realize photography isn’t just a hobby but something deeper, something that changes the way they see the world. For me, that moment came in the early hours of a freezing morning at the Grand Canyon. Read on.
Tusayan, AZ | 3:30am | June 11
The early morning phone alarm. You know the one. The snooze button eludes my persistent barrage and I reluctantly get up instead. The sun waits for no one. I squintily open one eye to see what time it is. 3:31am. Gotta go.
I haul myself off the side of the hotel's king bed which takes extra effort compared to my usual full; although I know my German Shepherd enjoys the extra leg room. I throw on some layers, unsure of what the weather in Arizona is like at the &*%# crack of dawn. I double... no triple... no QUADRUPLE check to make sure my memory card is actually inserted in my Nikon (a classic Jen mistake) and sling my tripod over my shoulder. Off we go.
My eyes easily adapt to the morning darkness and the cool, desert air refreshes my face as I walk the Rim Trail. My shepherd trots next to me protectively, listening intently for any sounds of danger, but there are none, just the peaceful silence that can only be felt in the moments just before dawn. We arrive at our destination and I set up my tripod... and wait. *screen fades to black*
*film rewinds chaotically* I asked for a camera for Christmas on a whim. 'Maybe my parents will humor me,' I thought. 'If I never use it, who cares...I spent zero dollars on this.' Turns out, it was a gift that quite literally changed not only my life, but the way I see the world.
All of a sudden I was paying attention to the sunrises, the sunsets, the full moons, the Milky Way, the alpenglow, the thunderstorms, the birds, the clouds, the pine trees, the reflections, and all of the inconspicuous details about the universe we live in that didn’t exist before I started pushing buttons on this square, black box.
*screen fades back in* The sunrise over the Grand Canyon hit me hard. All I could do was stand there. It was quiet, yet loud. It felt empty yet somehow so full. I feel like that sunrise was where my photography really began.
Capturing nature, whether it be mountains in the Pacific Northwest, alpine lakes in the Sierras, or red rock formations in the dry desert, while celebrating a special moment in your life truly brings me so much joy and purpose. Being able to freeze a moment in time is a passion I hope to share with as many people as I can. The world is so big and we are so small so really the best we can do is explore as much as we can while we are here.
The photos below were some of the very first photos I ever took and edited, and while they make me cringe a little now, they were the start of something bigger than I ever imagined. It’s incredible to see how far I’ve come since that morning, how much I’ve learned, and how my perspective has evolved. Growth isn’t always pretty, but it’s necessary...and looking back is a reminder of just how much progress is possible when you keep going.
That morning at the Grand Canyon was just the beginning. What started as a simple curiosity turned into a lifelong passion, one that has shaped the way I see the world and the way I capture it. Photography has taught me patience, perspective, and the beauty of always learning. I may sometimes shudder looking back at my early work, but I celebrate the journey it represents. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: keep chasing the light, keep pressing the shutter, and never stop pushing forward.
