My Brother Owen Pickard

Before you start thinking ” It must be great to be related to a photographer” in reference to my last two posts ; )  Let me set you straight with these images.

When you are related to an budding photographer you get a lot of ” Hey why don’t you go put on that nice shirt and sit under these lights for 30 minutes while I make you do faces you’re not comfortable with” and ” Look up here at me, no, again, just smile with your eyes, you’re doing it wrong, no, okay, no wait, again!” 

My brother put in his time, you might remember the reference to the agonizing “soccer ball photo” in this post. 

Owen and I were always told growing up that no matter what we did, as long as we worked hard and loved the Lord our parents would be proud of us. “Even if you’re a plumber with your crack hanging out” said our Dad. Owen, nor I, really went to college. We both tried it, sure, but when you’re passionate about something, and realize you can get there without paying some school tons of money to do so, you take you’re own path. 

Owen’s path can run as far back as some of his birthday gifts that I can still distinctly remember. A stand up microphone that had a foot pedal for clapping and laughing, a football shaped toy box, a ‘make your own radio show kit’ that broadcast in a mile radius, and a guitar. Still to this day, in some ways, he has all of these things as a part of his life. He sings on a mic for the Rodeo Opry, he is on the radio, he plays the guitar, and he uses the restroom ( that’s connected with the football shaped toy box, you’ll have to ask him……)

When I thought about this the other day I realized that Owen has only had one job. He has worked for Tyler Media since he was 16, starting as an intern and slowly working his way up to where he is now. 21, a radio personality, and assistant program director, Owen is dedicated and I’m very proud of him.

He’s one of my favorite people in the whole world, because he can always make a room laugh, he genuinely cares for others,  he is an extremely talented singer/host/entertainer, and he works incredibly hard. He is one of my best friends, and even though we yelled at each other, punched each other, wrestled until Owen screamed like a girl, locked each other out of our rooms, broke each others stuff, he woke me up with a whistle, I let him fall in the trust fall, he punched me in the mouth when I had braces, and once I broke his new cell phone.  We also did all these cute things together …..

 

Riding down the driveway on plastic ambulances, swinging on the swing set like we were flying, riding our bikes around the neighborhood in our power ranger suits, jumping on the trampoline, speeding down the slip and slide, making funny home movies together, and being the only kids we knew who were super goofy. We kept each other normal when our parents got divorced, and accepted new parents and siblings together. 

I have a bracelet that Owen and my Dad picked out for me together for Christmas one time, when my Dad was single and looking at that bracelet makes me think of how incredibly blessed I am to have such amazing men in my life.  

We very quickly snapped some photos of Owen for his portfolio this weekend, and I have to say he sure has grown up.

Also, ladies, I’m looking to become an Aunt before an actual mother, so here is his phone number….

JAY KAY.

Love you Wing!