Since 2022, I have applied to more jobs than I can count. Granted, a majority of my jobs or companies I worked with were all before Covid. Since Covid ended, my camera has been the only way I have been able to survive.

8 years ago, when I first began my career, my mom gifted me a camera, and that changed my life forever. Fast-forward to about three years into my career, and I was able to purchase my first camera. That camera took me all over the United States. That camera was the reason I started my first podcast. That camera helped give people modeling careers. That camera helped people want to pick up a camera. That camera created a door that I never saw was possible by helping me share my gift. The camera was my purpose. That camera gave me a reason to believe in myself again. That camera was family.

So this year, I wanted my birthday to be about me. In the past years, sometimes I would use my birthday as a way to bring people together. So this time, I wanted my birthday to be about me. On July 19, I worked three different gigs and then I wanted to take a one-hour break (put my camera in the trunk) for the last hour of my birthday and spend time with my friends. When I returned to the car, my camera bag was gone.

It took me a long time to finally write this, but I am now here. I have a very extensive client list, and the amount of work I do requires quality work. It has been difficult these past couple of weeks to turn down work because I don’t have capable equipment. I am doing as much as I can to keep saying yes to booking requests, but business has been affected because there is more post-editing than normal. I don’t want to fall behind, and it’s just been hard. My entire life was in that bag. Truly so much was lost, and I just want my camera back. Thank you all for anything you can do, even if you just spread the word.