The Epler Family | Goshen County Family Photographer

Sometimes the most amazing lessons you learn as a family photographer in Goshen County Wyoming aren’t about photography at all.

When I was a senior in high school, I competed as an extemporaneous public speaker for my FFA chapter.  I’d just won the regional event earning me a spot in the state competition.  I was headed to state and I was feeling cocky.  As we were leaving the regional competition, an ag teacher from a nearby town stopped me.  He shook my hand and told me congratulations.  Then he gave me that look.  Yes, that look.  The look of sternness and disappointment that only a parent or teacher can give.

“You got lucky today, Miss Cole,” he told me.  “You skated by on fluff.”

I met his gaze.  “It was a good speech.”

“It was an okay speech.  But you’re better than that.  I’ll be judging the state contest.  And don’t think for one minute that all that B.S. is going to fool me,” he said, his intense blue eyes boring into me.

“Yes, sir.”

“If you’re going to half-ass it, you might as well not even compete.  Give it your all or get off the stage.”

His words burned in my ears the entire ride home.  At first, I was indignant.  I’d won!  It’s not my fault his speaker had completely forgotten their speech.  A win was a win.  Then I was angry.  He wasn’t even my ag teacher.  What right did he have?  Then I was humbled, because he was exactly right.  My head wasn’t in the game that day and I relied on big words and a slick conclusion because I really didn’t know my topic.

The next night, I wrote his words on a notecard that I put in my planner.  I’d look at it every day and think about those words as I studied and worked and prepared for the state competition.

Give it your all or get off the stage.

The day of the state competition rolled around and I drew a topic that I loved…grazing fees.  I had 30 minutes to prepare my speech and then it was time.  I walked to the edge of the stage, looked right at that ag teacher who was now a judge and started my speech.

After hearing my name announced as the state champion, the first person to come shake my hand was that same ag teacher.

“Now that was a speech!” Mr. Epler told me, clapping me on the back.  “Well done young lady.”

I’d remember those words many times over the course of my FFA and college life…competing at the national FFA extemporaneous public speaking event, working as a state officer, turning in a resume for my first real job.  They helped give me purpose and focus.

It was those words that echoed in my ears as I drove to a family photo session last month.  I hadn’t heard them in twenty-three years later, but I still remembered them.  “Give it your all or get off the stage.”

I pulled into the driveway, walked into the house and stuck out my hand.  “How are you Mr. Epler?”

It’s crazy to me how my life, my work as a photographer, has allowed me to connect with people.  Here I was, standing in the living room of the very man who scared me into working my ass off on a high school speech contest.  It is weird and wacky how life works sometimes.

We had a tremendously fun photo session.  I’ve gotten to know Mr. Epler and his family better over the years through our mutal work with FFA.  Today, my daughter even gets to call him Mr. Epler, as he’s the principal for her school.  But now I just get to call him Randy.  I also get to count count him and his amazing wife Belinda, their son, daughter and son-in-law, as friends.  We laughed and joked and shared an amazing meal and lots of fun memories from almost three decades of FFA.

But as drove home, I thought about that edict, er…advice, from all that time ago.  I’d sort of been half-assing my photography business.  Not in the sense that I don’t take it seriously.  I do and I’m committed to getting better and serving clients.  But I had been holding back out of fear of failure.  I hadn’t been giving it my all because I was afraid my all wouldn’t be good enough.

So that night I came home and wrote his words in my planner once more.

“Give it your all or get off the stage.”

It’s a daily reminder that I am in control of how much effort I give.  I decide if I’m going to half-ass it and make excuses afterward or go all in and see how amazing I can truly be.

I actually shared that memory with Randy after our session.  He laughed and said “Yeah, that sounds like me.”

But I’m grateful that was him all those years ago.  That moment lit a fire under me and motivated me to push myself and earn a state championship.  And it’s a lesson that never grows old.

I’m grateful that the Epler family chose me to take their family photos.  I like and respect them all very much and it was an honor to be trusted with session.  Experiences like this remind me of just how amazing my job is.  I feel so blessed that people open their lives and homes to me to photograph.  And it’s a special treat when old friends become new friends as we connect as moms and daughters and adults and friends.

Life is crazy beautiful, ain’t it?

–Teresa