You *might* have noticed some changes
If you had told me ten years ago that I would be doing senior portrait and family photography, I would have probably looked at you like you were crazy.
As some of you may know, I have very high social anxiety, so posing people and asking them to stand or sit a certain way absolutely terrified me. My first ever family session was an absolute disaster. My previous employer and her family were my guinea pigs and I had no idea what I was doing. (I even used portrait mode on my camera because manual mode scared me too much.)
I had no plan going into this, just my camera and three pictures I found on Pinterest. I decided to “wing-it”.
The posing was not very strong and I was so nervous that I forgot all of the ideas that I had in my head. I completely blanked, meaning the parents and two kids had to stand there while I scrambled for ideas, and as most of you with kids know, they aren’t very patient.
After that session I didn’t touch my camera for almost two years. I was ashamed, felt as if I would never be good enough, and even though the family liked their pictures, I knew I could have done better.
Two years later, I became a stay at home mom. My kids were in preschool and I had nothing better to do with my time. I was depressed and though I love spending time with my family I truly felt unfulfilled. I needed to do something.
“You should try portrait photography.” My father-in-law, a nature photographer, said to me, (He had been saying this for months now.)
“I can’t pose other people.” I had said with a wince, remembering my first family session.
“You just need to learn and practice.”
This went on for almost a year until I finally gave in. I told him the market was so saturated and that I wouldn’t even get one paying customer. I didn’t want to try because I knew I would fail. But Bruce was determined to invest in me and gave me the education and resources I needed to start and grow my business.
I didn’t get one paying client in my first year, I had at least ten.
I’ve worked with models and couples and seniors and the most awesome families. I learn something new at every session and I have made amazing friends and met so many fantastic photographers all over Ohio. (and around the world.)
Now that I am more established and I have a clear vision for how I would like my business to grow and evolve, I would like to let you in on some changes that are happening. The biggest and most important change is that I have adjusted my pricing structure.
I will no longer be offering mini sessions on my website. Instead I will advertise themed or seasonal minis via my Facebook and Instagram pages.
Another change you may have noticed, is of course, my blog. Every Family, Senior or Couples session will get their own blog post with my most favorite pictures and some little behind the scenes details. I have been wanting to do this for a while, but I was afraid no one would want to read anything I wrote. Aside from photography, writing is one of my passions and I am so excited to share this with you!
With these changes, I hope that you will stick with me as I continue to grow and evolve. This past year has been such an eye-opener and I have learned so much and met so many amazing people.
So, what do you think of all these changes? How have you grown in the past year? I want to know in the comments!