During the first football game of the 2010-2011 season, and my first football game to ever photograph, I was asked to photograph each game for The Trussville Tribune. With it being my senior year in high school, I just wanted to shoot two quarters of the game, call it a night, and sit in the "Dog Pound" (student section). I went up to my parents at half time to talk, as I always do, and my mom said to me, "you have to go back out there, it's too close of a game." Of course, I did what I had to do, and went back out. I had no idea what was in store for me when I got back out there. This moment is what gave me the name of the "MUSHographer" for the HTHS Football team. Looking back now, I wouldn't change a thing. This moment was one of the best (and most embarrassing) of my life. :)
#2 MOMENT:
Every game I spend with the Huskies. They say "once a husky, always a husky," and it couldn't be more true. My football guys mean more to me than they'll ever know. I'm so blessed to be able to be on the sidelines with them each year, and I wouldn't trade my Fridays in the fall for anything. MUSH!
#3 MOMENT:
Seeing Courtney Porter being crowned Miss Alabama. She told me in an interview during Miss America that before she went on stage, she looked up at her mother and could see her looking down, smiling at her. To capture such a special moment when Courtney looked up and told her mom, "I did it," made me speechless. Courtney has been such a great representative for our state and I'm blessed to have been able to capture her journey from Miss Alabama to Miss America. Read Courtney's story here!
#4 MOMENT:
The number four moment is extremely special to me, because it was the first time I was actually genuinely proud of myself, and what I had accomplished. I'd never even heard of anyone being proud of themselves until I saw Ben Breedlove's story on YouTube, and I thought to myself, "wow, I wonder what that feels like." The first time I was really proud of myself wasn't when I was on the football field or when I was in Las Vegas for Miss America, it was when I was sitting on the floor of the Jacksonville State University basketball court watching the Huskies beat Mountain Brook. I had my lanyard with every credential I'd had in the past year, I counted them. I had seven. I looked down at the credentials and thought of all of the things I've gone through to get them. I've heard my parents and sisters say that they're proud of me before, but to actually say, "I'm proud of myself and what I have accomplished" was a big thing for me. I hope everyone gets to feel exactly how I felt at the moment of my life. It's an indescribable feeling but it's a great one.
#5 MOMENT:
The moment my life came full circle! I was sitting in a room with complete strangers at the Miss America 2012 Judges Press Conference. I was originally on the second row because the first row was completely reserved, and I was excited to find out that the chair in front of me was reserved for an AP photographer, and I was even more excited that I'd be able to meet them. However, about a minute before the conference started, a woman walked up to me, and asked, "would you like to take the Associated Press seat?" Of course my answer was yes! I got to live in my dream, for about 50 minutes. I'm so blessed to have been given that opportunity, and I may not ever be an Associated Press photographer, but I lived in their shoes for a day, and that means the world!
