Olivia talks
My Story
I never expected that chasing a feeling - a cluster of multiple tiny moments that made me feel alive - would turn into the journey that built my entire photography story. In August of 2024 I had the craziest opportunity to travel with my boyfriend's family to Prague, Czech Republic. I have never been to Europe before so naturally I was nervous. Prague was one of the first places I ever traveled that actually made me slow down and pay attention. I didn’t have some big, dramatic moment there - just a lot of small, real ones. Figuring out the trams, wandering around without a plan, stopping to take photos of whatever caught my eye, and realizing how different life feels when you’re somewhere completely new. It wasn’t perfect or aesthetic every second, but something about being there opened me up. It made me notice light, details, people, and moments in a way I hadn’t before. And honestly, that’s where my journey really started - by paying attention.
During my trip, I found myself constantly snapping photos of everyone laughing and smiling. And later, when I scrolled back through those frames, something clicked—I didn’t just see images, I felt every happy moment all over again. Each photo held a little piece of joy I didn’t want to forget. That’s when I realized I wanted to give that same feeling to other people: the comfort of looking back and remembering the good, the real, the moments that matter. From then on, I stopped seeing photography as just a hobby. It became a way of holding onto the little moments - quiet conversations, inside jokes, the way the sunlight hits someone’s face when they’re not even trying.
About two months later, someone messaged me asking about my prices and when they could book a session with me. I didn’t even have a website, a business name, or anything that resembled being “ready.” But that message made something click even further than Prague had - people saw the value in my work long before I ever did. It took their confidence to make me realize that maybe this thing I loved wasn’t just mine to keep - it was something worth sharing. It was the sign I didn’t know I needed.
From that moment forward, I threw myself into learning. I reached out to other photographers, asked questions, watched, listened, and absorbed everything I could. I practiced constantly, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and slowly started building something bigger than just me. It stopped being about simply taking photos and became about growing, improving, and creating a space where others could feel seen and celebrated through my work.
And honestly, it all traces back to my boyfriend’s mom - the person who once told me, “Don’t forget to taste, smell, touch, and feel with all your senses this big magical world.” She showed me what that really meant on our trip to Prague. She opened my eyes to an entirely new world - the history, the beauty, the details I might’ve walked right past. Without her, I wouldn’t have learned to slow down, to notice the little things, or to see life the way I do now. And without that shift, I truly don’t think I’d be where I am today, capturing the magic I once didn’t even realize was in front of me.
In the end, this whole journey hasn’t been perfect or planned - it’s just been real. I didn’t start with a business or a big dream. I just followed a feeling, one photo at a time. The more I learned, the more people encouraged me, and the more I opened my eyes to the world, the more it all started to make sense. And I have to give a special thank you to Celeste for showing me a bigger world when I didn’t even know I needed it. Her words, her perspective, and that trip changed everything for me. Now all I want is to give that same feeling to others - to capture the little moments you’ll look back on and think, Yeah… that was a good one.
