September Smile Photography: Laura Ann Short

I've always been a creative person. When I was little I used to make beaded jewelry, sew baby and Barbie doll clothes for all of my dolls and turn cardboard boxes into mansions for my Barbies. English was always my favorite subject because it gave me the outlet I needed for creativity. When we would have book reports mine would always be over the top with descriptive writing and enormous presentation . In elementary school I wrote several plays, in fifth grade I wrote a 400 page novel and in sixth grade I made a castle out of a cardboard box and hand glued hundreds of tiny rocks to it. It's still in the school lobby 20 years later. I wrote several children's books in high school that were published for a limited time. I wrote them for a 53 year old neighbor that couldn't read. When I was around 11 years old I found my mom's old modeling slides and some black and white photos she had taken. I also found one of her old cameras,a Pentax with a 200mm lens. I'm not sure what it was about any of those items but it stirred something in me and I knew what I wanted to be "when I grew up". I joined the military out of high school and pursued a career in photography but had to take a job in supply instead. I made the giant move from one coast to the next. I was fortunate to have Commanding Officers that backed my love for writing and photography and allowed me to explore that side of the Navy. In 2009 my military tour ended with an honorable discharge after 12 years and two deployments to the middle east. I started to become interested in web design and press printed products due to my photography client base slowing down after a move to Los Angeles County. I was fortunate enough to make a few friends in the "biz" and was given opportunities to photograph a few Hollywood events. Earlier in 2011 my husband took a job in Austin, TX so we made the move from California to a little town called Wells Branch in the city of Austin. I was pregnant with our third child and with record breaking temperatures over 100 degrees life was very difficult. I put photography on hold for the last few months of my pregnancy and started to design digital scrap booking paper and Photoshop actions. It was designing my new baby girl's birth announcements that really made me enjoy designing press printed products. I really love vintage and muted tones so I try to incorporate that in my designing. I also like unusual color combinations so I touch on that too. I even use my childrens' drawings in some of my designs. Currently I am remodeling my home studio so I can do more photo shoots indoors due to Texas weather being very different than sunny San Diego. :) I am a Ravens fan, stay at home mom to 3, two boys and a girl and I love the TV show Supernatural. I am also a full time photojournalism student and the photographer/designer behind September Smile Photography and Designs. I am very honored to be a friend of JensFabulousStuff!