I read that quote last night as I opened a wedding to edit...I carefully began the process of choosing the best and most beautiful moments and quietly reflected on that very sentiment above.
This blog, friends, is not an easy one to write. If I'm being completely honest, I'll tell you that I've been trampled on, plowed over, thrown under the bus and run over a few times, hurt, leveled, and disappointed in this business.
That's the price that no one tells you about when you've invested your heart and soul into a business like this....that it comes with a cost.
Speaking of prices, I also want to touch briefly on the fact that this business isn't as much of a "money-maker" as people think. If I had a dollar for the number of times that people tell me I must be "rolling in it" because of the amount of images they see posted or how booked I am then I wouldn't have to work at all. Truth is, digital photography has a price, too. I've invested in cameras, multiple lenses, photo editing software, flashes, liability insurance, newborn blankets, boxes, headbands, and various other props, chairs, business cards, custom print releases on quality paper, custom packaging, workshops to improve my skills, external hard drives to store your precious memories, and, by the end of the year, plan to add yet another camera and upgrade my computer. Let's also not forget that I pay taxes so 1/3 of everything that comes in goes right back to the government, regardless of expenses. My feeling is that if I'm going to make a business page on Facebook, I should be a business.
So, no, digital photography isn't free.
I have spent the last year truly reflecting on my place in this business. I have been knocked around and I've gotten back up. Some will tell you that if people attack you it means you're doing something right. Unfortunately, that doesn't make my heart feel any better. I have mostly taken every attack and done just what that quote says--used it to build this oh! so strong foundation. I won't lie, some still sting and others--well, they're just bullies. It's amazing, I thought I'd become an adult where we could talk about our feelings but it's true, bullies still exist and some people are still just plain mean. If there is one thing I wish I would have known when I started all of this three solid years ago today, it is that.
Now, all of that is the ugly truth....but it is not the ONLY truth.
Here's the good stuff.
In the last three years, I have met the most beautiful people and they have left lasting impressions. I have traveled because of this business and I have found myself in the most beautiful places. I've discovered the things that make me happiest both professionally and personally and I have witnessed miracles. I have watched newborns grow and have witnessed their milestones. I've opened my heart wider and I've seen my dreams come to life. I've watched couples become parents and they've come back to me--again and again. The amount of support I've received both professionally and personally has been amazing. I've done some of the hard stuff too--last photos for families, final moments and memories...and there have been distinct defining moments that I'll never forget....one being my first baby that I saw from newborn to 1 year, some girls begging me to jump on the trampoline in their dresses, my first wedding, the wedding reception where the couple laughed more than they could be directed, my first photo booth, and-more recently-a hot pink photo booth.
If you ask me if all of the good stuff is worth all of the other hard stuff, this is what I would tell you everytime:
yes.
Not because it's easy....but because it's worth it.
I have loved every solid minute with each person who has come in front of my lens...and some of those very people feel like family. There isn't a single thing in the world I would trade for that. I have played with your children, laughed with your family, and celebrated your life with you. I have given each of you a piece of myself that I won't get back and I am proud of that.
I know who I am in this business....and I happen to love her.
So, today marks three years for this business. Three years of ups and downs and beautiful solid ground....three years of a foundation that won't be burdened or cracked by another because my foundation lies primarily on my heart. While it has been through so much, I know with more certainty than a lot of other things that it is resilient.
If you ask me how I got here, I'll tell you simply that it is because of all of you. The fact that you choose me is remarkable. It still amazes me.
from the bottom of my heart, thank you....for fueling my passion....for making me dig deeper....for believing in this dream....and for loving this heart of mine.
cheers.
and, here it is, the family and the shot that started it all.....virginia style.
