Photos courtesy of Lara Hopkins

Lara Hopkins, at work

BLACKSBURG -- Lara Hopkins' life changed with the flash of a camera.

She described it as a moment of clarity, the day pictures of her two young daughters brought her to tears and the day she decided what career path to pursue.

Today, she's giving back the gift of photography she received years ago in many ways, including to a local nonprofit organization.

Just nine years ago, Hopkins was a stay-at-home mom. The 37-year-old had gone to art school at Auburn University but soon realized she didn't want to do art for people, she said. She instead got a pre-veterinary degree in wildlife science and later, a master's degree in science education that she used to run a nonprofit wildlife center in South Carolina.

"I was a bird girl," Hopkins said, who worked daily with falcons, hawks and other birds at the wildlife center.

Commuting between South Carolina and North Carolina, where her husband Bill worked, became a struggle when the couple started a family. Hopkins quit her job and moved to Aiken, S.C., to be with her husband and raise her two daughters, Stella and Carly. The family moved to Blacksburg in 2005 when Bill Hopkins took a job at Virginia Tech.

Although being a stay-at-home mom is a job in itself, Lara Hopkins missed her connection to the professional world. The missing piece of her life fell into place on a trip to the South -- the Deep South.

The couple heard about a photographer in Atlanta through family members, whom they hired to take portraits of their family.

When the proofs of the photos appeared on the screen, Lara Hopkins was speechless.

"I literally looked at the images of my children and I started crying," she said. "She was able to capture that beauty that every parent sees within their child."

And in that moment, Hopkins knew she would become a photographer.

"I knew I had to give people the gift that had been given to me," she said.

She sat down and talked with her husband about her epiphany and "it just clicked," she said.

"It's like you completely reinvent yourself," Hopkins said about returning to her creative side.

"It's neat to come back to that girl."

Hopkins knew her artistic background would help her some on her new venture, but she also knew she'd need guidance and education.

She turned to the Internet where she hooked up with an online community of photographers. Some were on her level, some were world famous, but all helped "nurture and support me," Hopkins said.

Today, Hopkins specializes in portrait photography. After shooting several sessions with infants and children, her reputation as a children's photographer "really blew up," she said.

One of her most memorable shoots was last winter during a newborn session. For five hours, she shot a mother and her newborn, working around the baby's natural napping and feeding schedule to capture that perfect moment. At one point in the shoot, the mother was holding her child in her arms, and she began to cry.

"She was caught up in the beauty of her child," Hopkins said.

"And I was there. And I caught that moment."

Next Saturday, Hopkins' love for children and her career will be highlighted once again at the NRV Cares Spring Gala and Auction. For four years, Hopkins has donated a full photo session with a CD of proofs included, to the fundraising event. The session, worth about $700, usually sells for more than $800 at the auction, said Bev Walters, executive director of NRV Cares, a local child abuse prevention nonprofit organization. Last year, the gala alone raised $30,000. More info: 381-8310

Walters said it's a privilege to highlight Hopkins' work each year. The two connected through their husbands and formed what Walters described as a natural bonding, as they both share deep connections with children.

"The sensitivity she brings to her work ... the way she represents children, it's unique," Walters said. "She has a great eye."

And as much of an honor as it is for NRV Cares to showcase Hopkins' talent, Hopkins said the opportunity may mean even more to her.

"I think they [NRV Cares] do an amazing job," she said.

"I like the way they work with families, children and the whole community.

"I really admire what they do."

To learn more about Hopkins, visit her website at www.lbhphotography.net.