Hey guys and gals!

I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas with friends and family!

So as promised,  here I am today talking a little bit MORE about how I got started in this business once I got home from California.  ( Don’t worry, if you missed Chapter 1, you can check it out here:   https://tamara-lockwood.com/?p=2071  )

Once I got back I was eager to learn more, but I didn’t know a single photographer in Toronto! I did a lot of research online, and found an amazing studio called Pikto in The Distillery District.  I learned that they did some courses and workshops there, so I signed up for my first workshop with the amazing Tara McMullen called Wedding Photography.  Fitting right?  I thought so!  This woman is truly amazing. She taught me so very much in that short weekend.  We also had two styled shoots (an engagement and a wedding shoot in and around The Distillery).  Well as you can imagine, this just sent the passion for this industry soaring high!  I HAD to do more and see more.

I really wasn’t sure who would want me to take photos for them, so I offered my services for protraits and events for free.  I put up an ad on Craigslist for small events.  When people responded, I was incredibly honest about my level of experience.  All the recipients were so wonderful and just happy to have someone taking photos.  This led to events with Dragon’s Den contestants, which led to food photography for an amazing Cake Pop designer,  which lead to meetings with wedding planners, which lead to a cool fashion event at ShopGirls, which led to amazing music gigs with the fabulous Meredith Shaw and it goes on and on and on.  Never did I offer free services for a wedding.  Truthfully, I was not ready for a wedding on my own, and I knew that.  I wanted to ensure that I had the knowledge and skill to take on the changing environments and tasks of a wedding day.  SO, I continued working with people from all over capturing monetous occasions.  I loved it.

I also asked all of my friends to model.  I would say, “Feel like putting on your favourite dress and heels and modelling for me today?”  We always had a blast!

After that, I continued posting all the photos I was taking on Facebook.  All of a sudden one day, I had a request to photograph a wedding (ME!).  I couldn’t believe it. Then came two more requests.  I was hoooked! A photo from my very first wedding is still one of my very favourite images to date:

These two have been walking, talking billboards for my business.  They have told everyone they know getting married about me, and raved about my work.  My appreciation for these two cannot be put into words.  I adore them so much.

I feel like I have gone on and on…. but there is still more to the story!  I will share those details next week 🙂

Happy Thursday!! xox

Tee