Personal — Blog — Will Carson Photography

First off, Happy New Year to everyone! 2019 was a fantastic year of growth and personal achievement, so I’m hoping 2020 follows suit! Where to begin… The past year and a half has flown by quickly. Here’s a quick blog post to update everyone on what’s been going on in my life and why I’ve been away.

Grad School

In June of 2018, I lost my mind and decided to enroll in the Masters of Nursing program at the University of West Georgia. Yes, that’s right… me… back in school. I’d been a nurse at that time for 5 years and felt that I’d grown stagnant in my professional life. I needed something to reinvigorate my love of the nursing practice! On a whim, I applied for the program and was accepted within a week (with classes starting in August). If you know me at all, you know that patience is not my strong suit, so rather than taking it slow and doing a class at a time, I jumped right in full-time, head first. I didn’t fully understand just how great of an impact school would have on my life, but I quickly learned that I couldn’t balance a full-time job, go to school full-time, and continue a side hustle doing photography. So after much careful thought and consideration, I deactivated my photography social media accounts and stopped booking sessions so I could focus on school. It was so very hard telling people no when they asked me to photograph their special moments. I did do a few small projects and some very low-key family sessions, but for the most part, I photographed my own life and family. Which brings me to….

Huxley

In January 2019, I got a dog… specifically, a puppy.

Huxley was 7 weeks old when I brought him home with me. He literally fit in the palm of my hand and though he was small, that tiny little guy came with the need for a LOT of attention. The first few weeks were rough (I’ve never raised a puppy before), but we got through them and eventually I had a four-month-old.

One random Friday night, we’d come home from my parents and I was cooking something to take to my friend’s house for her mom’s surprise birthday party. I gave Huxley a Nylabone (which I’d done many times before) and somehow, he got choked and started acting strange. Long story short, he spent 2 nights in the ICU at Auburn University Veterinary Hospital with fluid in his lungs, inside an oxygen crate, with a fairly grim prognosis. That was the moment I knew what real love was because sitting in that waiting room, I’d have done anything in the world for that sweet little guy to feel better. The ride home and the following days were terrible. I’d never felt so helpless with such little control.

Don’t worry though, this story has a happy twist! Huxley is now a year old, loves visiting his grandparents, playing fetch with his oinking pig toy, chewing on my furniture (help), and spending every minute of the day he can outdoors walking around the neighborhood and meeting new friends! He lets me love on him when he’s very tired, but otherwise, he’s a ball of endless energy! He came into my life at a time where I really needed a distraction from life’s curveballs, and he keeps me grounded, accountable, and most of all, happy.

Dogs seriously are a man’s best friend!

Travels

I spent a good chunk of my free time on the road in 2019 visiting some new cities I’d never experienced before. Work took me to Dallas, TX and I have to say if I had to choose another city to live in, it’d be Dallas. The city itself is such a cool, hip environment. There’s a ton to do and see (AND wearing a cowboy hat is perfectly acceptable)! My favorite area of Dallas is Deep Ellum. Its a very artistic area with lots of colorful artwork and neat places to photograph. There’s a wonderful brewery there that I highly recommend!

My second favorite city is Charleston, SC. WOW! Charleston is an historic dream. My friend Katie and I traveled there to see Kacey Musgraves’ tour and spent an extra day exploring the city. We stopped at an incredible coffee shop while we waited for a table at brunch (which was also incredible). The rest of the day we took bicycle taxis from one area to another, watched a wedding party enter the church, walked around the malls, and had a few drinks at a rooftop bar with amazing views of the city and the water. I’d love to go back to Charleston to do some additional exploring or to take photos!

…and a wedding!

Probably the best part of 2019 was being part of my brother’s wedding. It was such a magical weekend and a perfect July afternoon! My brother and his wife were married at Victoria Belle Mansion, an antebellum home from the 1800s, in Hogansville, GA. It was different being on the “other side” of wedding photography and seeing how another photographer works. After the wedding, I knew that I had to get back into what I really loved… photography.

So now that grad school is wrapping up, I’ve raised a puppy, and I’m done traveling (for now), I’m excited to reactivate my social media accounts and revamp my website to begin scheduling all types of photography sessions in 2020!

This past year has been a wonderful and much-needed break to step back, re-prioritize, and reflect on my aspirations in life. Thank you for sticking with me, and I look forward to working with you again in the new year!