When I am asked why I chose photography as a profession, I always answer that I didn’t choose it. Photography chose me.
I was born in Lithuania, one of the greenest countries in Europe. My teen dream was to become a fashion designer and study at the Academy of Art of Vilnius. However, I was sure the doors were closed for me due to not having the right connections, money, or even talent.
After graduating from Pedagogical University I didn’t know what to do with my life. During that time I was in a relationship with a guy who was a graphic designer and owned a marketing company as a family business. One time, looking at my images taken after a vacation together with a pocket digital camera he said, “You know, you take great images.”
“Yeah, so what?”, without much interest, I answered. He said, “Wait, you don’t understand the seriousness. I’m not just complimenting you here. I see that you have an eye for composition, light, and angle. Why don’t you consider working with me in marketing? Take some photography classes, and maybe potentially, afterward, we will hire you as a photographer for our company.”
For a young person right out of college who had no idea what career to pursue, this felt like destiny calling me, directly and loudly. I searched for a photography school in my hometown and found a two-year program at City College. The timing was perfect. It was right during new student enrollment, and I got accepted easily.
After the first semester of photography school, my boyfriend and I broke up, but I am still in a strong relationship with photography, and my headshot business in San Francisco Bay Area is proof of that.