Peyton before Peyton Olivia Photography- Portraits on Film from 2012 and prior

Before I was “Peyton Olivia” with Peyton Olivia Photography, I was just Peyton. An artistic, shy vet expressive, emotional, punk girl who liked photography. I knew I was going to be an artist from a young age, as my mother, but I didn’t know what in. My mom is an artist and growing up she would draw, or paint, or photograph my sister and I. If she wasn’t doing those things, she was in the garden, or in the workshop creating something. I had so many artistic outlets, how could I decide a path?
Instead of choosing, I dabbled in everything. Middle school didn’t offer other art classes besides drawing, painting, and theatre. I was in several drawing and painting classes but I was interested in photography. I saved up my allowance for a year or so and I bought my first small shoot and point in early 2006. I didn’t buy my first big camera, a digital one (a Nikon Rebel, something) until 2009. I don’t remember how I got into film, but I did around this time as well (2009). I was a freshman in high school creating art, literally every day.
During this time, I journaled my images via Flickr (though I deleted a lot of my images) and I began a project, The 365 Day Project. For one year, I created self portraits. You can see what did survive on my Flickr. My project involved digital and film photographs of myself. After my 365 project ended, I didn’t stop photographing. I actually became more attached to my film bodies.
After high school, 2 years after, I went to school for photography. I studied film and digital, learning the true ways of film and the darkroom. However, my final year of college was completely digital. After that (2016) I stopped using film; mostly because my camera broke and I never bought a replacement. It wasn’t until this year, 2020, I went back to my parents house and discovered all my old film- the photographs that built me into the photographer I am today.
I discovered portraits of myself dating from 2009 or so, some on the first film camera I ever used. While looking through my film, I remembered why I fell in love with photography- it was all for the art, the process, the expression, the final creation. I missed that. After I became a photography business I have felt I have been missing that aspect and I've decided to bring it back. I now have 2 film cameras, a Nikon EM and a Mamiya C22, and I plan to use them solely for my artistic expression and personal documentation. I’m excited for this new choice and I have also decided to post my personal stories, through film, on my journal. It will be a nice way to see my everyday life and mind as an artist through photography.
Below, I have scanned in some of the portraits I found of myself from 2012 and prior. I was so young, full of creativity, feelings, and I desperately wanted to figure out who I was meant to be.

The little lady in 2 of the photos above is my little sister, Halle. At the time, she was probably 7 or 8 and she was my main model/ subject. She helped me become the portrait photographer I am today! My next journal entry will consist of old film photographs of Halle. I cannot wait to share those. Stay tuned.