The End

In 2005, my dad gave me my first camera. It was a little Olympus point and shoot, but it was amazing and I was super excited to have it! After my first son was born, my dad gave me his old Nikon film camera, an F4. I couldn't figure it out, so he gave me his other Nikon 2020 to practice on until I was ready for the professional grade. Once I'd gotten comfortable with film, and spent gobs of m only developing it at our local pharmacy, my dad upgraded and gave me his old Nikon D200, my very first real DSLR camera. I went nuts! I could take as many pictures as I wanted and didn't have to worry about is I got the shot the first time. It allowed me to practice and experiment and eventually master exposure. In 2014, after we had moved to Iowa the year before, and I felt sufficiently practiced, I started Arastan Photography. I created the name from my two children, Tristan and Aramis. It was fun meeting new people, trying new things, getting published in magazines, and collaborating with fellow creative artists. Sadly, I've recently had to close as a professional business because the market is just too saturated for an independent to survive in. Photography will always have a special place in my heart. I remember going on l ing drives with my dad just to get the perfect picture of a mountain stream or a sunset. Like him, it's in my blood. I will always be taking pictures at looking at life through the lens. But for now, it is going to be for me and what I want. I'm sad that Arastan had to close, it was like my baby. I grew it up from  nothing. And I will always remember my time as a professional photographer fondly. But I am excited to move on to the next chapter of my life!

*from Facebook* It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closing of Arastan Photography. I want to thank all of my wonderful clients who made this journey such an amazing experience. There is nothing I loved more as a photographer than to see the smiles on children faces, the love of families, and the joy of seeing your photos come to life. 
I wish you all the best, thank you for allowing me to capture those moments that matter most!