My name is Pam Durkota. Anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I am not a fan of anything "ordinary" or "cliche." Having said that, I will openly confess that I hated the process of coming up with my bio. The truth is, I was born in plain old southern Illinois. I'm not a little bit country. . . I might be a little bit rock and roll. . and once I went on a river boat cruise that played only polka music (and liked it!).

As a child, a perfect day for me would likely have included watermelon, a copy of Pippi Longstocking, and a fresh box of 64 Crayola Crayons. I had a big sister, a little brother, a turtle named "Myrtle" and a weiner dog. In eigth grade I met John, the love of my life.

We were married in college . . . . which incredibly enough was nearly 26 years ago. We have three sons: Stephen (21), Josh (19), and Tyler (16). Josh came to us at age 7 via adoption. It was on our first trip to India in 1999 that I learned to see the world differently. Although I encountered real poverty for the first time on that trip, I didn't want to stare or be insulting. I also wanted to find a way to truly see people, and not just look at them. I looked to their eyes, their facial expressions, their body language. . . . and that is where I found the story behind the story.

Fast forward, years later. . . I had become completely crazy about photography and all that I could discover simply by taking a picture. I took a few classes and read everything I could. My friends would remark on the little subtle things I would notice. . . and these 'little things' have now become what I feel is my signature in my work. In 2007, I was invited by a friend to come along on a volunteer trip she was leading with HOPE Worldwide. At first the destination was Africa, but lo and behold. . . there was a change and we went instead to India. We went to Bangalore and a little tsunami affected fishing hamlet in Tamil Nadu. Having the opportunity to witness the resilience of these people first hand was life changing. I knew I had to come back. . . so last year I did, along with our entire family and our dearest friends. I took over 5,000 photos! This was a special trip because it was our son's first visit back since joining our family. And amazingly enough, we were there in the country of his birth, at the time of his 18th birthday. We all worked hard, made many new friends, and I reunited with friends I had made there in 2007. Some of my work from these trips has been used in annual reports for United Way, HOPE foundation (an affiliate of HOPE Worldwide) and in a juried exhibit, "Atlanta Celebrates Photography."

To see the progress these people have made in putting their lives back together after the tsunami. . . and to be able to document this for them is one of the deepest joys of my life. Although my India photography is completely separate from my business, I felt the need to include it with my website because it is the fire behind my passion.

All that I learn about life and love through our India experiences makes me a better photographer. . . but most importantly, a better human being. I treat each of my subjects with dignity and respect. . . and I believe that is why people are willing to be vulnerable in front of my camera. Whether it is here is Georgia, or somewhere in rural India, I want the people that I photograph to know that I care about them. . . I want them to be comfortable. I want them to see themselves in their 'best light'. Telling stories with light and love. . . . that is pretty much what I do. "Lighting with the sun. . . Seeing with the heart!" is my personal mantra.

So. . . that's my story. . . and I'm sticking to it!