“I love nature and animals, but I find that when it comes to photography, I especially love photographing people. It allows me to hide behind my camera, watch people and see how light shifts, compositions change, and inspiration is either captured or lost in the blink of an eye.” I have always loved art in one form or another. I loved studying art and paintings in college, but did not discover my true calling in art-photography - until a little later. At the age of 21, I was hired at a photo lab where I printed my own work at a discount. My very nice boss was also a photo instructor at the college, and working there is where my photographic addiction and passion started. After years of working in labs, shooting about a hundred pounds of images for fun, assisting, and shooting for other photographers while learning about the different genres of photography, I found that the passion was not going away. I decided to make the commitment to photography, invest ‘the big bucks’, the majority of my time and accepted living in substandard conditions to learn more about photography. I hoped to make a career of it, but at this point I was unsure of what field of photography to enter. I lived for two years out of the country, traveling around the world, photographing people and places along the way. By the grace of god, I attended Pasadena Art Center College of Design, one of the best art and design schools out there. I was also graced with some incredible teachers and peers. Through my scholastic and working experiences, my awareness and knowledge of the technical and the more subtle elements of photography have grown sharper over time. These skills have been refined to the point that I still come across things that make me think, “oh, that is why I studied that,” and am glad I had the opportunity to do so. Wedding photography encompasses all genres of photography--all collected in a given time frame; the possibilities are endless. Shooting weddings puts me in several shooting modes: photojournalistic shooting (making sure to tell the story), capturing the “still life” moments, traditional portraiture, fashion photography, timeless fine art, and even experimental photography gets involved. I love it!! I have found that my ability to go with the flow, as well as my awareness and sensitivity to inform and instruct when needed or wanted, are key elements to successful wedding coverage. I like to use the chameleon shooting method, which is to blend in and let people be comfortable around me, which allows them to let down and guards and be themselves. The best images are captured when people are experiencing the moment--that is when I like to take the photo. I am continually working towards expanding my knowledge and understanding of photography, and in turn, of myself. I study other photographers and am constantly getting involved with different mediums in the field. I have a background in the professional lab and darkroom, which is a big part of how I funded my passion and learned a ton about photography. I still have my own old-fashioned black and white lab that prints beautiful, traditional prints. My company also prints fine art platinum prints, which is a rare type of print to find being printed in this digital age. My most recent techno-throwback is shooting 8mm movies. If it works like I am hoping it will, there will be some samples on my website soon. Even with my appreciation for the traditional, my foot is in the digital age as well. I do see advantages to working in the digital realm, but I also see compromises. I am viewing it as just another tool to be used in the photographic field, as the job calls for it. It is nice to see that after years of shooting, I can still see my work evolving, along with my tools and final products. On a personal note: I moved from San Diego, California to the beautiful Asheville, North Carolina area 12 years ago. I live with my daughter, Jenna, my partner, Steve, 3 horses, 2 goats, a plethora of chickens, 3 dogs, a rat and 5 cats. I work from home and shoot on location. I love nature and am constantly amazed at the realization that I am part of it. This ever-evolving realization helps make me aware of my potential creative possibilities. I support: link TV.org, an Ethiopian little girl (that is my daughter’s age), and animal welfare. I am always happy to be of assistance please don’t hesitate to email or call with any questions. Sincerely, Audrey Goforth