Photographs can be very powerful. They can inspire, they can show heartbreak, beauty, loyalty, love and triumph. A photograph can move you to tears or make you laugh. Taking pictures of the world around us is sometimes the only way to really SEE.
Jackie Novak is a very talented local photographer. She resides in the Hammond area and was kind enough to share her story with us. Throughout the blog I am including photographs that Jackie has taken in this area. She finds the beauty that is all round us. Below is her journey into photography in her own words.
Jackie Novak and Marley 
Taken in her very own backyard!
“One of my favorite things to do when visiting my grandparents would be to go through their photo albums and look at pictures. Even if I had seen the album a dozen times, I’d still enjoy looking. My grandpa was a photo bug and I think it must have run in the family. It’s something my grandpa and I both loved – taking photos.
I’ve always had a good eye for composition and a passion for art. I majored in art in high school and bought my first film camera when I was 22. I fell in love with it, but couldn’t really afford to go to school and learn more. After a while I couldn’t even afford to develop my film because so much had collected! Once I got my hands on a DSLR (a type of digital camera) three years ago my skills really developed. It’s a bit of an obsession for me. I started taking pictures of anything and everything. I invested in some better lenses and lighting and decided to be a photographer as a second job. Doing something I loved was exciting rather than working for minimum wage somewhere and being miserable.”
The pier in St. Joseph, Michigan 
Sunset in NWI
“I’ve always wanted to be a photographer but never had the confidence. So after my family and many friends told me I should go for it, I did. I made an investment in myself and my passion.
I’ve sold my photos and artwork worldwide through websites such as fineartamerica.com. I also get hired locally for jobs such as family portraits, birthday parties, engagement photos and weddings. I have also been hired to take real estate photos.
In my spare time I read about photography and browse photography websites trying to learn as much as I can so I can put it into practice. I have never had any formal education in photography – my knowledge is self-taught thanks to the internet and magazines.”
Marley
There are far too many beautiful, amazing and heartwarming pictures that Jackie has taken for me to ever be able to share a good cross section of them here. I strongly encourage you to further view her work. You can visit her Facebook page at Jackie Novak Photography for a good sampling. She also has many pics posted on Flickr.
NWI 
Hammond, IN bike trail over the Little Calumet RIver
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