Last week I attended a photography convention called WPPI. I went there with expectations of learning more about my camera, posing, lighting, etc, etc...well, I learned that but so much more...I've come back changed...hopefully a better photographer but most importantly I've come back as a better wife and mother...yes...I learned that a photography convention...strange huh? Well, let me tell you how....
The first day of classes were awesome...I learned some great posing techniques, lighting, etc...I was pumped! Woohoo! I continued through the classes...some great...some not so much...don't get me wrong they were helpful and I learned but there was one class that changed me...seriously...I ugly cried through portions of it...I know the people around me thought I was nuts but I really felt that she was sitting down with me and giving me my wake-up call and there was no one else in the room...it is something I will never forget...I could have seriously packed up and headed home afterward...that was what I needed to learn...
The speaker was Jasmine Star...I've always admired her but I had no idea how much her words and her testimony would speak to me! As she was sharing her story, I was right there with her...wow...did she just take my story? LOL!!! She talked about how she was so "caught up" in her business that everything else went to the side...she talked about how she would "justify" that it was "OK" because she was doing this for her clients who were so important to her but the at the same time the people who where the MOST important to her (family, friends) were totally pushed away. Instead of her life running the {business} the {business} was running her life.
Wow...insert another kick in the butt and the ugly cry....oh and stab in the heart too...yep...I was pretty miserable sitting there....
It's so hard to have a balance...I LOVE photography, I can't explain how much joy it brings to photograph that newborn and to watch the parents being so in love....I can't explain how giddy I get when I'm chasing that 2 yr old and then finally getting "the shot"...Oh and weddings....wow....I have no words for the joy that they bring to me...but...that is NOT my life....
My life is this amazing man that after 17 years of marriage still calls me "Sweetheart"....my life is that precious little girl who was placed in my arms 12 years ago in an orphanage in Russia...my life is the little miracle boy who doctors told me that I would never have {they were wrong btw because GOD had other plans} and most importantly my "life" is all possible because of God...wow....how did I let it get to this?
So, I have to make some changes...this is the hard part...
I will be cutting back my schedule...I cannot continue in the path I'm going at this time. I have also realized this week that my work has value and most importantly YOU have value!!! I don't want to just shoot sessions day after day and give no meaning to those sessions! Every session from now on will be planned and will be about YOU! No more "posed" pictures...that is not the photographer I want to be, I want to capture families being who they are...those are the moments that are priceless. I want to be different, I want you to come to me because I'm not like everyone else...I want to be that square in the round world...haha...sorry...I know that's totally lame but it's me, LOL!
I have raised my prices...I know I keep saying this but I so wish you could truly see my heart on this matter and how I have cried and agonized over this! I NEVER want to be the photographer that no one can afford and while my prices have gone up, when I'm compared to others who are on my level, I'm still significantly lower. Did you know that Sears charges $300 for a Cd? Wow...that's all I can say! They give you the CD right after they take your pictures...I spend HOURS making your picture a work of art....seriously???
Photographs are priceless....it's amazing to me how someone can complain to me about my prices but that same person will go out and buy a new TV for $1200...we are not guaranteed tomorrow and having those priceless images on my wall of my love ones is no comparison to that big flat screen TV on the wall....puts things in perspective huh?
I will still be shooting all types of sessions but they will be different. I will cater each session to YOU and where you are in this time of your life...there will no longer be a time frame for a session...I will shoot until I get what I want. I want every picture that I take to have meaning...I won't just be snapping for the fun of it. I want your session to be an experience, I want you to have fun...seriously....I have so many ideas in my head...who wants to be first? :)
I will also be offering special mini sessions from time to time as well...they will be different from ones I have done before but they are fun and I do want to offer those in Oct/Nov for Christmas cards. So be on the lookout...they will be limited!
I will also offer a significant discount for repeat sessions throughout the year...I want you to come back to me and I hope that you will see the value in my work and will want to do the same! I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to give each session PERSONAL attention!!! I love being creative and by cutting back my schedule I will be able to get back to doing what I wanted to in the first place!!!
I also realize that I will probably lose customers and since my business is so personal to me and I truly view my clients as friends this is going to hurt the most, but I hope you truly understand why I'm doing this and please know that I will feel no differently towards you if you go to another photographer and I can only hope that you will come back...because I will miss you...I promise...cross my heart....
I'm so excited about this new chapter in my life....I will be able to follow my passion {photography} but at the same time I will remember my true passion in life{my God and my family} I truly believe that God will bless me when I put HIM first...HE gets all the glory for my business...I want to NEVER forget that!!!!
I have no idea where this journey will lead me but I'm super excited along the way...God has blessed me so much...I'm so thankful....
I truly love you all...I would not be here at this moment in life without YOU and I will NEVER forget it....
xoxox
Julie
