For my first blog, I thought I’d take a look back to the origin of “HillyLily.” It all started seven-and-a-half years ago.
I’ve been an over-the-top dog lover since infancy. My family always had miniature schnauzers growing up: Lady, Lady and Petey. And no, that’s not a typo. I creatively named back-to-back schnauzers the same name. But after graduating college I felt it was time to get a dog of my own.
At that time, I was still only working part-time at my college job and knew the responsible thing to do was first land a full-time job (and wage) to ensure I could properly care for (spoil) my new addition. One afternoon, I received the call with my first full-time job offer. I gladly accepted. I went to the dog rescue that same afternoon.
At Haile’s Angels Pet Rescue, I not-so-calmly scoped out all the precious and pitiful faces that needed to come home with me that instant. Within five minutes, I stumbled upon a purebred miniature schnauzer named Zach and was all “where do I sign?”
However, I was scheduled to work most of the following day and didn’t want Zach to be left alone so long on his first day with me. I told them I would be back the second I was off work the next day to pick him up and start our life together.
After leaving the rescue and slowly trying to descend from cloud nine, I enthusiastically called my then-boyfriend (now husband) John to tell him the huge news.
“OMG I FOUND A MINIATURE SCHNAUZER AT THE RESCUE AND I’M GOING TO NAME HIM WILLY AND HE’S ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!”
He didn’t exactly mirror my elation. Actually, I don’t think he said anything for a solid ninety seconds. I was confused but confident nothing would rain on my puppy parade. I humored him by listening to his attempts to change my mind about Willy. His last ditch effort was for me to consider adopting a puppy from his sister’s friend who had a litter of Labrador-Weimaraner puppies that needed homes. I quickly refuted because I never thought I would want a big dog or one that sheds.
John: SILENCE.
And finally, “Well, I got you one of those puppies for Christmas, have had it for three days and named it Lily.”
(I always said that my dog would be named Willy or Lily, gender dependent)
Me: SILENCE.
And then, “OMG A WEIMERANER-LABRADOR PUPPY NAMED LILY!”
And that was that.
Poor Zach/Willy. I’m sure he found the perfect home and is living the same glamourous life I would have given him. At least that’s what helps me sleep at night.
Fast-forward a few years and hundreds of Lily-centered Facebook posts later to my 25th birthday. That year my mom gave me such a thoughtful and generous gift: my first DSLR camera. She knew how much joy Lily brought me and how much I loved capturing her personality in photos. Since that day, I’ve been hungry for knowledge about photography and craved practicing the skill.
My very first picture taken on a DSLR is above. I knew nothing about cameras, composition or lighting, all the settings were set to automatic and the image is unedited. Despite that, it’s one of my favorite images of all time because it sparked a new love, excitement and joy in life. These feelings continue with all the pictures I take. Whether it’s an image of you, your newborn, your dog, your family or your grandma, my love, excitement and joy are nestled within each pixel.