I decided an intro would be a fitting way to start out my blog. I want to tell you more about me, so we can really get to know each other. Also, I’ll fill you in on what I’m hoping to accomplish with this blog. So, to start out, hey y’all!

If you’d like to know when a new blog post is up go follow me on my social media for updates.

10 Random Facts About Me

• I’m a compulsive list maker. (See?)
• I’m introverted yet oddly chatty.
• I’m a Leo.
• Audiobooks, podcasts, and talk radio soothe me.
• Cuteness is my kryptonite.
• I love video games.
• Rainy days brighten my mood.
• I enjoy binging Big Bang Theory and Game of Thrones.
• My favorite holiday is Christmas, but Halloween is a close second.
• I’m all about a good theme.

My name is LeDawn. You may be thinking, “Hmm… how do I even pronounce that?”. My family has always pronounced it “Lee Dawn” but I am totally fine with “La Dawn” since that is how it’s typically pronounced. Either way works for me.

I’m a portrait photographer based in Abilene, Texas. I am completely crazy about this job. I love giving you all the best experience during your session with the result being beautiful photos you’re in love with after we’re done.

My husband Owen is in the Air Force and his job has us currently stationed here in Abilene. He’s a crew chief working on the C-130’s at Dyess AFB. We’ve been stationed here since 2015 and we really like the area. Both of us are originally from Southeast Texas; we were high school sweethearts. We’ve been married for 14 years now.

I grew up in somewhat of a small town. Half my family is from Texas and the other half is from Louisiana. I had never been out of that small Texas/Louisiana area where I was raised until I graduated high school. As soon as I graduated I boarded a plane, which I had never done before, to fly to McChord AFB in Washington where Owen was stationed. We had a tiny apartment with basically nothing in it when we started out, but I was so proud of it. I am still shocked to think of the leap of faith I took by just jumping out into the world on my own to get married at just 18. It was the best thing I could’ve done for myself though.

After leaving Washington in 2007, we moved to Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan. It was an even bigger leap of faith. Literally moving to the other side of the world was scary but also incredible. In our time living there, I fell in love with Okinawa like I never imaged I would. We were fortunate enough to live there for 8 years. During those years we both did so much growing up. Plus, we got our sweet but mischievous Japanese duo, Max and Charlie, our cats. They’re now world travelers, and really the best feline family members we could’ve asked for. Owen and I both agree, we would be super excited if we were given the chance to live in Japan again.

When we first got married I thought we should immediately have babies. In my mind, being a wife and a mother were my main goals in life. Fortunately, as persistent as I was about this plan despite Owen’s logical hesitance, it didn’t happen in those first few years. I was never sad about that because I knew that we were still babies ourselves, so I waited. Once we got to Okinawa, it wasn’t long before I realized I had some medical issues, making it a lot harder to have the little ones I had been dreaming of. I found out that I have PCOS and after struggling for years with awful symptoms I nearly had a hysterectomy. Thankfully, after a lot of thought and prayer, I decided against it after symptoms I had been having subsided significantly. I was so young, I didn’t want to give up on the chance to grow our family one day.

So, the years continued to pass, and I started taking the time to really figure out who I was. I found out that I have anxiety, which really helped me to address how I was feeling and find ways to cope with it. I also got an associate degree in elementary education and while doing it realized that was not the career for me. Then, I finally picked up a DSLR camera and fell in love with photography. I had been taking pictures ever since I could get my hands on a camera. I just never thought of taking the time to learn the art of photography. The big fancy camera intimidated me, so I’ll admit it did sit in the closet for a while after buying it. But, once I decided to sign up for a few classes, I was off and running. In this process, I realized I was way more than the wife or mother I had only ever aspired to be growing up.

Flash forward to this year. At the start of the year I was celebrating the fact that I had lost over 100 pounds doing Weight Watchers. I felt so much better in so many ways. Then, in February, we got the big surprise that after over 13 years of marriage I was finally pregnant. Funny thing is, I had just made the decision the week before that I would go speak with a fertility doctor for the first time. Turns out, I was already pregnant! It was incredible news… Sadly, at 17 weeks along we lost our sweet baby girl who we had named Juliet Marie. She has a whole story of her own and one day I may tell that story in another blog post, but I felt I couldn’t tell you all about me without mentioning her. Juliet left a mark on my life that changed me forever.

Now that I’ve told you all about me, as promised, I want to tell you what my plans are for this blog. Since this is a photography blog I will be sharing some of my favorite sessions. I also want to share some adventures I take throughout the year, whether that be a vacation, some location scouting, or an impromptu trip to a field of sunflowers. I may even give you guys some tips I’ve picked up along the way in my photography journey. My goal is to have a good mix of things about my life and photography. If you have any ideas for future posts you’d like to see, please comment below.