I’ve always been outdoorsy and had such a craving for nature. My love of hiking has led me to countless gorgeous spots that are off the beaten path, and I take entirely too many pictures of the beauty I find. I usually can’t help myself in picking one of each type of wildflower I find along my way.

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I can honestly attribute all the things I love most in my life to my love of wildflowers. Now hear me out… I know that sounds corny and fake, but hear my story. When I first moved to the Elko area, I wanted to visit Lamoille Lake for my first hike in the Canyon. Now, I’m a pretty fast hiker, but I had to stop SO many times on this particular hike to get pictures of all the areas that had wildflowers blooming so beautifully, with the most perfect backdrops. I guess I can thank them, because at the end of this hike, I met my now-husband. Two miles from my car, 12 miles from a highway, 35 miles from town, and my timing was perfect. He was leaving right as I arrived, and had I not stopped to take so many pictures of those flowers, I wouldn’t have met the love of my life, and I wouldn’t have the two most perfect children. Like I said, all the things that I love most in my life… I can give thanks to my love of wildflowers.

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Now, my love of photography really started in nature. I used to capture beautiful pictures with a simple camera phone (with embarrassingly low megapixels compared to the ones we have now, too!). Capturing the perfectly composed photograph brought me so much happiness and pride. I had many friends through the years tell me I should be a photographer, but I shrugged them off and felt it was more of a hobby. My degree in school is Mining Engineering, and I worked as an Underground Mine Planner for several years before staying home to raise my babies. My little ones are what inspired me to want to grow my skillset, learn all about my camera, and practice my photography on my favorite tiny humans. And here I am now, hoping to help share my love of nature and photography with you in a form that you will love and cherish for years.

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So, friends. Take my advice: stop along your way, take a minute and appreciate those wildflowers. Or take pictures, or sit down and relax, pick some to take home, or just breathe it in. It could change your life forever.