All of this art stuff is old and yet so new for me. The same goes for photography.

I distinctly remember my first photo class in high school with Mr. Gustafson. As an awkward teen with a frizzy mop of hair and braces, I was in total awe of Mr. G - a young, hip guy who took some of the most amazing photos I had ever seen. I wanted to take those kind of photos so bad but was inevitably disappointed when my hand-developed film would come out a mushy blend of gray tones and underexposed whites. But I was determined to be better.

When my old boss emailed me a few months ago asking if I would take family pictures of her, her husband and adorable daughter Maya, I channeled that same youthful determination and despite the cloying fear of failure, said yes. Not even five minutes into our session at a local park, Maya's infectious energy and hilarious range of faces + laughs made me think I'd like to do this again.

A reminder to myself: yes is always the right answer.