30/08/2026
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This is a post I never really imagined I would write, and one that comes with an incredibly heavy heart.
After 16 years, I have made the very difficult decision to close the doors on a huge chapter of my life and step away from my beloved portrait photography business that has been such a big part of who I am.
And even writing those words feels strange.
Sixteen years ago, after the birth of my daughter, in a new town where I barely knew anyone, I took a chance on what felt like an impossible dream and started Erin Hardy Photography.
I had my diploma, a camera, a passion, a whole lot of determination and absolutely no idea just how far that little dream would take me.
But it grew.
And grew.
What started as a small business became a successful, award-winning photography career that gave me some of the most incredible experiences of my life. I photographed hundreds of families, tiny newborns only days old, growing bellies, milestones, celebrations and fleeting moments that became treasured memories.
I built something I was incredibly proud of.
Then, in 2019, life called us in a different direction and we packed up our family and moved to the beautiful South West.
A new adventure.
A new town.
New clients.
A fresh start.
At least, that was the plan.
The reality was much harder than I ever anticipated.
Our new home had no studio space, which meant stepping away from photographing my beloved newborns. Four months later, COVID arrived and trying to rebuild an established business from scratch in a new town, during lockdowns and restrictions, felt almost impossible.
Financial pressures meant finding other work. In 2021, I began working full-time. Then came another house move, and suddenly there were simply not enough hours in the day to give my photography business what it needed.
And then, in 2022, my whole world changed.
Separation. Divorce. Another move. A completely different life from the one I thought I was building.
Photography quietly slipped further and further into the background.
A few years later, with the love and incredible support of my new partner, Blue Butterfly Photography & Design was born.
It felt like my second chance.
A beautiful new studio space. A fresh brand. New ideas. New energy. And the opportunity to return to something I had loved and missed so deeply.
I wanted so badly for that spark to return.
But somewhere between working full-time, trying to build a life outside of work, the endless juggle and those brutal South West winters, I had to admit something to myself that was incredibly difficult to accept...
I had changed.
The passion I once had for running a portrait photography business wasn't there in the same way anymore.
And that realisation broke my heart a little.
Because how do you walk away from something that has been part of your identity for 16 years?
How do you close the door on something you worked so hard to build, something that brought you so much joy, introduced you to so many beautiful people and gave you a career you once only dreamed about?
I've realised that closing this chapter doesn't erase any of it.
It doesn't make those 16 years any less extraordinary.
It simply means it's time to turn the page.
Because there is one thing I know for certain...
I'm still a photographer.
I'm still creative.
I still see light differently. I still notice the way the sun hits the ocean, the colours hiding in a sunset, the first glow of morning, the texture of a landscape and those tiny moments of beauty that make you stop in your tracks.
I still need to create.
I just need to create differently.
And so...
EARTH TO HORIZON | LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY ..was born.
A new beginning that feels completely different.
No studio.
No schedules.
No pressure to rebuild what once was.
No trying to recreate an old dream.
Just me, my camera and wherever the road takes me.
Creating at my own pace. In my own way. By my own rules.
Earth to Horizon brings together so many of the things I love most: photography, travel, adventure, nature, the ocean, sunrises, sunsets and exploring this ridiculously beautiful world we get to call home.
My camera will be coming along for all of it.
I'll be chasing light, wandering coastlines, finding hidden places, getting up far too early for sunrises and probably pulling the car over far too often because "LOOK AT THAT LIGHT!"
And this time, I'm simply going to create because I love creating.
So while there is sadness in saying goodbye to a chapter that gave me so much, there is also something incredibly exciting waiting on the other side.
A whole new horizon.
To every single person who booked a session, trusted me with their babies, invited me into their families, recommended me, followed my work, encouraged me, supported me or simply cheered me on over the past 16 years...
Thank you.
You helped turn an impossible little dream into a career and a chapter of my life I will always be incredibly proud of.
And to those who would like to stick around for what comes next...
Welcome to Earth to Horizon Landscape Photography.
I hope you'll follow along on this next adventure.
There is a whole world out there waiting to be captured, and I cannot wait to show you what I see.
Here's to closing chapters with gratitude... and chasing new horizons with excitement.
Erin x
