Mommy Moments
Prelude to Lois’s Wellington Life
By Lois Spatz
In March I will be celebrating eleven years in Wellington, where I started a new life. I came here when my oldest son was in second grade and my youngest in preschool. I was a stay-at-home mom who was a little bored, but definitely a dedicated mom and wife. It all changed when my son started playing football for the Western Communities Football League, and I started taking pictures.
My passion sprang from the love of documenting my kids’ life to wanting to tell others my story through my lens and in my words. I picked up a local magazine at a doctor’s office and inwardly promised myself I would one day work for that magazine and by the next year, I was.
I’ve heard the term “momtographer” – that was me. I was taking photos at all of the things my kids did and then later, photos of all the various and interesting events around Wellington. I worked for a popular local magazine and newspaper for about a year and loved every moment of it, except the paycheck. I went on to work for several local newspapers and publications until I landed at Around Wellington and decided to stay.
My Wellington photo history includes over 300 school events, field trips, football games, high school marching band competitions and plenty of equestrian events. (The icing on the cake is that I got to spend a lot of time with my son at his school this way too.)
After I became a bit better at taking photos, I decided to pursue my photography passion by taking classes, workshops and taking a lot of photos. A LOT OF PHOTOS!! I love taking photos of the kids, businesses, great local personalities, pretty people, school functions, charity events and various newspaper assignments, but I came to realize is that my soul lit up as I began delving into the equestrian world.
As a young girl I would beg my aunt’s friend to draw me endless pictures of horses. I was not a rider, nor did I live on a farm or even live anywhere near horses, but I was completely obsessed. I had packed that little girl away a long time ago.
And now it dawned on me this wondrous January day, riding home from an elaborate Rolex-sponsored tour of one of the top horse riders in the world and his “stables” – which where I come from would be called a museum/mansion. It dawned on me that the little girl who used to stare at horse pictures for hours, dreaming of one day just being able to be near gorgeous horse, was now in the very midst of the enticing, enchanting, elaborate, exclusive equestrian world. (To Be Continued)
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Lois Spatz, a Chicago native, has been a Wellington resident since 2004. Her time is shared between her family, friends and career as a professional photographer, writing whenever she has the chance. Lois’s Instagram ( Loissp) states that travel and photography fill her soul and she believes love can change the world. Visit her website too – for more information on LS Photos – http://www.loisspatz.com/