GET TO KNOW THE LADY BEHIND THE LENS...
My name is Elizabeth (friends call me Liz!), and I'm a photographer, wife, and mother. Thank you so much for wanting to learn more about the origin of this story, and why I choose to stop time as a career.
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”
Birdie + May Photography was named in honor of my late grandmother, Roberta "Birdie" May Huff - the beautiful soul responsible for showing me how to harness the power of time with a simple kodak.
But before we skip too far ahead... I feel compelled to tell you about my past life - the origin of this story - and why photography means so much to me.
As a young adult, and in the span of only a few short years - the dynamic and landscape of my family changed forever.
I lost my grandfather, shortly after meeting my husband, to pancreatic cancer. A few short years later, we would lose my uncle - everyone's favorite uncle, and the closest person I had to a father figure. My husband and I soon discovered that we were pregnant with our first born - the sweetest son - and then he nearly lost us both to preeclampsia. We experienced what it was like to be homeless, to lose everything. We moved across the country and had our second child, a darling daughter. And twelve days after she was born, we lost my grandmother - the woman who had shaped me. Two weeks later, my biological father would pass away as well.
Believe me. I know how important photographs are - because it's all I have left of them now. And this journey has taught me a very important lesson:
don't lose time, it's gone too fast.
+
NOW, here's a little brighter part of my life...
I was born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia to a rather large Italian-American family. My grandmother had eight children, sixteen grandchildren, and sixteen-plus great grandchildren - and she documented it all, something I wouldn't truly understand or appreciate until much later.
I spent most of my early childhood surrounded by film - my grandmother was an amateur photographer that owned and operated a small photo booth from 1975 until the late 90's - this would inevitably lead to a disposable camera addiction and a life-long passionate pursuit of timeless and authentic memories.
I married the man of my dreams, Gary, in the summer of 2018 - with the sand between our toes, and the salty air kissing our skin - surrounded by our closest friends and family.
These days, I spend most of my time chasing the wild souls I like to call children. Gary III, our son, is 7. And our daughter, Eleanor, is 4 years old. It's a beautiful chaotic mess. I run on caffeine, sarcasm, fried food, and a few of my favorite Office quotes. I consider myself a homebody but I love to travel. I love big belly laughs, gift giving, supporting others, and snuggling my babies.
One of my biggest goals in life is to constantly document my own children as they grow and explore the world around them. I want to relive these moments when they're off starting families of their own.
This is what matters most to me now. And knowing that I can help others preserve and safeguard their most precious and intimate moments - documenting your story - is truly the best gift of all.
