10/26/2026
She said this better than I could have. Please read🤍
I don’t usually make posts like this, but lately I’ve been feeling like I need to remind people that there’s a real person behind this business.
I’m a mom to a very busy 2½-year-old little girl. I’m a wife, a daughter, and someone who values spending time with my family. On top of that, I run my own business completely by myself.
I answer every message, every email, every inquiry. I schedule every session, communicate with every client, photograph every session, go through thousands and thousands of photos, edit every single gallery, and deliver every single image myself. I don’t have an assistant. I don’t have someone answering messages for me. I don’t have someone editing my photos behind the scenes. It’s all me.
And I genuinely LOVE what I do. I love meeting new people, seeing familiar faces come back year after year, watching your families grow, and being trusted to capture moments that you’ll never get back.
But I also think I need to remind everyone that I’m human.
There was a time when I could answer messages almost immediately. Unfortunately, that just isn’t realistic for me anymore. Some days I have multiple sessions, hundreds of photos to go through, galleries to finish, and a little girl at home who deserves my attention too. Sometimes it might take me a day or two to respond, and I understand that waiting can be frustrating. But I promise you, nobody is being intentionally ignored.
Today I found out that a client had disputed their session payment, claiming they never received the service they paid for. The part that is so frustrating is that their session wasn’t even scheduled to take place until today.
And unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to deal with something like this.
I cannot explain how discouraging it is to put so much of yourself into something, work incredibly hard to accommodate everyone, and then have situations like this happen.
I have always tried to be as flexible and understanding as possible. Need to change something last minute? I’ll try to make it work. Want to include your dog? Absolutely. Need help picking outfits? I’ll help you put everything together. Nervous about being in front of the camera? I’ll walk you through every pose and make sure you’re comfortable.
And when I say I go above and beyond for my clients, I genuinely mean that. I’m so much more than just the person behind the camera. I’ll fix your hair, curl your hair before your wedding, help you into your dress, put b**b tape on you or your bridesmaids, carry whatever you need me to carry, and do just about anything I can to make your day easier. I’ll be the person cheering you on, making sure you feel beautiful, helping with your kids, and doing whatever I can to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Whether I’m photographing your wedding, your family, or a quick 15-minute mini session, I want you to feel comfortable with me. I want you to have fun. I want you to genuinely be happy with not only your photos but your entire experience.
I don’t care if you book the smallest mini session or an entire wedding with me. Every client matters to me.
But somewhere along the way, I feel like being understanding and flexible has turned into people expecting that there are no boundaries.
And this year, more than ever, I’ve felt that.
I’ve let a lot of things slide. I’ve rearranged my own schedule, made exceptions, and tried to accommodate situations that honestly made things harder on me. And most of the time, I just let it go because I don’t like disappointing people.
But I can’t keep running my business that way.
Starting November 1st, I’ll be implementing and more strictly enforcing a few policies. Some of these have always been in my contracts, but I want to make sure everyone is aware of them.
Session arrival times: Please, please arrive on time. If you’re late, that time comes out of your scheduled session. If you arrive after your session time has ended, your session will be forfeited without a refund or reschedule, consistent with your booking terms. This is especially important for mini sessions when I have families booked back to back. One late arrival can throw off the entire day.
No-shows: As stated in my contracts, clients who do not show up for their scheduled session will have the $250 no-show fee charged to their card on file, as authorized by their agreement. This is not a new policy, but it will be enforced.
Rescheduling and cancellations: I completely understand that life happens. Kids get sick, emergencies come up, and sometimes the weather just doesn’t cooperate. I am a mom and a very family-oriented person, so believe me when I say I understand! Weather-related reschedules and genuine emergencies are absolutely something we can work through. However, for new bookings starting November 1st, clients will be allowed one client-requested reschedule, and cancellations or rescheduling requests need to be made at least 48 hours in advance unless there is an emergency. Existing bookings will remain subject to their agreed terms. I simply cannot continue moving the same sessions around multiple times.
Payment disputes: This is something I never thought I’d have to address, but unfortunately, here we are. If you ever have concerns about your booking, payment, or session, please communicate with me. I am always willing to work through legitimate concerns. However, disputing a payment for a service that hasn’t even taken place is incredibly discouraging and has real consequences for my small business. Moving forward, I will be taking the necessary steps to protect myself and my business when disputes are filed.
Tuesday Availability: Moving forward, I will no longer be accepting sessions on Tuesdays. My daughter has dance, and that’s something I want to be fully present for. As much as I love photography, I never want to look back and realize I was so busy working that I missed out on these little moments with her. She’s only little once, and being her mom will always come first. I appreciate everyone understanding that Tuesdays will now be reserved for her!
Upcoming Time Off and Availability: I also want to make everyone aware that I will be completely unavailable during the following dates:
* November 25–30
* December 23–January 2
I will not be booking or photographing sessions during these dates, and responses to messages and emails will be delayed. These are dates I’ve intentionally set aside for myself and my family, and I really want to be able to enjoy that time without feeling like I need to constantly be working. I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding!
I don’t want anyone reading this to think that I’m suddenly becoming some strict, unapproachable photographer who doesn’t care about her clients. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’m still going to be the photographer who gets just as excited about your photos as you do. The one who will spend extra time getting your toddler to smile, help you pick the perfect outfits, fix your hair when the wind won’t cooperate, and probably end up laughing with you through half of your session.
I’m still going to be the person who goes out of her way to make your wedding day easier, even when it has absolutely nothing to do with photography.
Because that’s just who I am. I genuinely care about the people I work with, and I want everyone who books with me to walk away feeling like they had the best experience possible.
But I also need to be able to be a mom, spend time with my family, and run a business without constantly feeling like I have to defend myself for not being available 24/7.
I know that the overwhelming majority of my clients are absolutely wonderful. Some of you have been with me since I first started, and you’ve watched me grow this business from absolutely nothing. You recommend me to your friends, bring your babies back year after year, trust me with your weddings, and support me in ways I don’t think you’ll ever fully understand.
And I am so incredibly grateful for that.
I just wish people understood how much work goes into this business beyond the 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or hour that they spend in front of my camera.
I’m one person, doing the best I can, while also trying to be present for the little girl who made me a mom.
I love this business. I love my clients. And I have absolutely no intention of changing the way I care for the people who trust me with their memories.
I just need that same kindness, patience, and understanding in return. 🤎
With Love,
Amanda 🤎
