Hi! I'm sydney!
If you've visited my instagram page then you've probably seen my pinned post telling you a little bit about who I am (and if you haven't, uuuuuuh what are you doing?😂 go follow!) But unfortunately instagram only allows you to write so much so you get a very shorted version of who I am as not just a photographer, but a person over all. So here is a much longer and in depth peek into me!
To start, the primary hats that I wear are Wife, Mom, Photographer, Chicken Lover and Baker (haha get it?) Also tossed in there are a few headbands labeled Cook, Mechanic, Military Spouse, Cowgirl, Auntie and Bestie.
My photography journey started when I was 18 and in Tech School to get my Associates Degree in Automotive Technology and I was taking iPhone photos of my sister and her friend and editing them (HORRIBLY😂). From there I bought a Nikon D3200 off of Facebook Marketplace and started experimenting with it! When I was 19 I went to work at the autoshop my family owns and one of the Technicians there was big time into photography. Clarence had been around my whole life but I hadn't talked to him much or gotten to know him in any capacity. I started to ask him questions occasionally about things and he took me under his wing, taking me to shoots with him, having me model and teaching me how to pose and what light to look for and how to use a camera in manual mode, which was daunting to me at the time. From Clarence I purchased my Nikon D5300 and a 50mm lens and continued to model and photograph anyone I could.
In 2022 I met my husband in Norfolk, Virginia and he said "Do you want to move to Connecticut in a month?" and me, being a little insane but A LOT in love, said yes. Before our move, my Jeep had some issues that resulted in it being left on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck and while it sat there overnight, all of my photography gear was stolen out of it, along with almost all of my other belongings. To say that was a hard day is an understatement. My gear was never recovered and I didn't pick up a camera again until the middle of 2023 when I borrowed my friend's dad's camera to take her maternity photos. I immediately fell back in love and knew I needed to get a camera again. It was no where in the budget though I had found out in April 2023 that I was pregnant and my husband and I paid for our elopement in July of 2023 and we didn't have any extra money lying around. In November of 2023 I was VERY pregnant and my nannying position had just ended so while we were drowning in the stress of how we were going to make it with a new baby, and going down to one income, I made the jump and I pulled from our very small savings to purchase a used Nikon D5300, just like the one that was stolen and I set out to restart and finally succeed at owning a business. I did a couple of session and some Christmas minis that first year before I gave birth to my daughter, Laramie, in January of 2024.
Laramie changed my entire life and suddenly building a business was no longer about me, it was about building something that would allow me to provide a life for her that I never had. She has become my driving factor and what keeps me from giving up in the hard moments. Not only that but Photography became my only thing that was really me outside of motherhood. While navigating postpartum and learning to be a parent with my husband, photography was the one and only thing I had that did not revolve around nursing and diapers and laundry and naps.
My first shoot postpartum was when Laramie was almost 3 months old and a family I had previously photographed reached out asking if I could capture their gender reveal. I said yes while being terrified of how I would leave my baby for any amount of time as she didn't take bottles, was not yet a fan of being comforted by her dad, and I just didn't love parting with her (which is 1000% normal and if you are a new parent, do not let anyone tell you you HAVE to leave your baby for anything!) So I took on this very short shoot to capture this memory for these beautiful people. I was terrified but so excited, the itch had hit me and I needed so badly to photograph people again. My husband actually came with me and we brought Laramie and he dropped me off and drove around so that Laramie would sleep in the car until he had to come back and get me. It worked out beautifully, I got to capture such an exciting moment and I got a little taste of who I was outside of the postpartum haze I had been in for the last 2 1/2 months.
Since that first shoot I have shot many many other sessions and met so many incredible people. Some of those shoots, my husband came too and walked around nearby with Laramie for my comfort and so that I could nurse right before and right after each session. As Laramie has gotten older and started solid foods, and she's begun to also seek comfort from her dad, I've been able to very anxiously go to sessions while leaving them at home.
In October of 2024 I was turning 23 and I had decided several months prior that I desperately wanted to save up for a mirrorless camera, the Nikon Z6ii specifically. I saved and saved and saved my session earnings and on my 23rd birthday I ordered my dream camera. I was so ecstatic and proud of myself, while also feeling optimistic that this was a huge step for my business. Even though we all know that it's the photographer, not the gear that really makes it, I couldn't help but feel like I was entering the big leagues with this big leap.
Now, as I'm writing this, I have captured so many shoots with my Z6ii and just two days ago I finally ordered my first mirrorless lens, the 35mm 1.8 S for my first Fresh 48 session that I have coming up! I am both excited and so scared for my business this year as my husband and I approach our next PCS to Washington state and his schedule becomes chaotic and unpredictable. But that is a story for another post. (Don't worry, it'll come)
Well, gosh, this is already so long and I feel like I've barely scratched the surface! Head on over to my instagram, @Sydneybakerphotography , and take a peek at my stories for more daily life updates, occasional Q&As and more!
