It only took 8 years for me to actually figure out what I wanted with my little business.  Two, three, four plus years ago, I didn't know that it would take me several years to know what I wanted from photography or that the process could change and evolve so much.  All I knew then is that in order to succeed, I better look at least as good as all of the other photographers' work I was seeing on Facebook, Pinterest, and the list goes on.....and it wouldn't hurt if I bought all of the things these photographers had in their photos.  I didn't know that there were photographer groups and organizations that had training videos, tutorials, q&a's, and support groups.  I really had. no. idea.  Of course in the beginning you want to start getting experience doing ALL kinds of photography.....even if you maybe have no interest in a particular area.  That's how everyone starts their career, right?  Work from the bottom up!  I get it, and I'm glad I did because I met so many people along the way and some of them I am grateful to still work with today and consider a friend.  It wasn't until about a year ago or so that I started hearing other photographers talk about the value in doing what you truly love and if that meant cutting a part of photography out of your business that you didn't really have a passion for, then you go for it and embrace what you KNOW you want to do.  WHAT!?  How can I possibly do that??  I run the risk of missing out on a client who wants this, or a client who wants that or not being the photographer that has all the things or uses this particular setup, etc. etc.  It took a LOT of soul searching to finally define what it is I wanted to deliver to my clients.  These are the things I KNEW for sure:  1.) I wanted to capture real, authentic, genuine moments with not a whole lot of "clutter" distracting from that.  2.) I wanted to stick with using natural light in my studio because it's what I knew best and it can just be oh so dreamy when it filters in through my studio windows.  3.) I knew I wanted to continue to offer digital images for my clients.  This is something I've struggled with for years....well, actually struggle is the wrong word.  I've felt peer pressure to stop offering them.  Everything I've ever watched, read about, and learned from other photographers was to not do this, that it's "giving away" your work.  I just can't....I've said from day one, if my client is paying for a session, then they should have something to show for it, right?  Nothing about that is "giving away" in my mind.  4.) I also knew that I LOVE design and probably spend far too much time and money with this hobby of mine around my house and my studio, so I tried to think about how I could incorporate this into my job instead.  Ta-da!- The idea of creating and selling photo products was born!  I can help my clients come up with what things would look great in their house, what sizes, how to organize, them, etc.!  I have heard SO many times from family and friends that they love their photos but can't pull the trigger on what to do with them beyond their digital format and have no idea what to do with them in their home and to please come help them-LOL!  SURE THING!  I would LOVE to help with this and get those photos displayed in your home so you can actually enjoy them on a daily basis!  After all, you paid to have your photos taken....don't let them hide out on your phone or computer where you'll end up forgetting about them!

Also my love of shopping and helping others put together outfits brought me to the idea of offering a photography wardrobe, primarily for kiddos, for in- studio sessions that will help take the guesswork out of outfit choices for sessions.  Did y'all know I have a Masters Degree in School Counseling?  I feel like between working with children and counseling clients on location, clothing, and product options, I pretty much use my degree on a daily basis with this gig....wouldn't you agree?  In all seriousness, I love my job and now, eight years in, having taken the time to figure out what it is that I want out of all of this, I love it even more...and I HOPE, even if you HATE having your photo taken, you'll allow me to help guide you through this process, and come out, in the end, having photos you'll cherish forever!