Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope Marie Thompson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in New Orleans, and at the age of six, my family moved to Houston. I went on to attend Prairie View A&M University, University of Houston and studying abroad in London, always prioritizing making art and learning about photography. My husband Darren and I have three beautiful children. We recently relocated to the North Texas Area. I am a professional photographer with a passion for fine art portrait photography. In addition to my business – Photography by Hope Thompson. I recently founded a charity, Posterity & Purpose. Its mission is to provide quality portraits and prints to people diagnosed with a terminal illness and seniors 65 and older at no cost to them! Posterity and purpose is the best way I know how to contribute my talent and passion to our community!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At an early age, I was diagnosed with Dyslexia. Dyslexia is known as a general term for those that have difficulty learning to read and write but, does not affect intelligence. Many people do not know that Dyslexia is not something you “grow out of”, the difficulty with reading and writing never goes away. Nonetheless, many people with Dyslexia have overcome their inabilities to become innovators, creative geniuses and often operate excel at a high level in technical careers mostly due to their unique perspective on most things! Recently Dyslexia has been re-categorized from a luring disability to a learning difference. I think it should be known as a processing difference, like a MAC and PC. Ultimately, they do the same thing in very different ways. Although Dyslexia has and still does challenge me in so many ways, I believe when it comes to my art, it is my superpower. I have an opportunity to see things and people from a unique perspective, capture it, and then share it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an Artist, there’s no way around it. I feel everything and I often feel it deeply and differently than the general population. I have a voice and a distinctive/particular viewpoint. I am a Modern Romantic Artist. Believe it or not, art as a career is not something I would recommend. It is something you must be called to, devoted to, and extremely passionate about to stand out. Fine Art – is the highest distinction of an art medium. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specializing in photography. I always enjoyed imagery, partly because there was so much information there. As I child that had difficulty reading and writing, I was able to learn so much from images without recognizing the words that surrounded them. History, Science, literature, fashion, and advertising coupled with a skilled illustration or thoughtful photography made a major impact on how I view the world today. I am so proud to be a small business owner/operator. We provide a full range of portrait, event, and product photography services. Our specialty is Fine Art Portrait Photography. We create Gallery worthy portraits for families and individuals. One of the things that set us apart is that we work hard to get to know our clients. We want to know their style, the purpose of the image they wish to capture, and their standards. We also try to provide a memorable special experience for all involved in the shoot, being patient with kids and babies and providing convenient amenities during shoots.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Dallas is rich in diversity, culture, art, food, history, entertainment, and enterprise. While I have only lived here a few years, there is always something to do. Somewhere new to Go Taste and sip. Go listen to live music. Someway to Go Help, volunteering with local nonprofits. Somewhere to Go Learn or gain new skills at a community workshop. If I had to find something to like least, I guess it would be related to all the best things about the city… there’s so much to choose from, lol.
