10/28/2026
🤍 A little heart-to-heart with you guys...and I'm not going to lie. I did write this into chat, and my goodness it knows my heart more than I think I allow myself to. I couldn't even finish reading it without sobbing. So yes, it is chat, but yes these are also my words.
I’ve sat here trying to figure out how to put all of this into words without it coming across the wrong way, because the LAST thing I ever want is for anyone to think I’m not grateful for the blessings God has poured into my life and this little business of mine.
But I also think sometimes it's okay to be honest and admit that even good things can become overwhelming. And goodness gracious, overwhelmed is an understatement these days. 😂
First things first, I am just about completely booked for the remainder of 2026! I have a handful of Wednesdays left available, and I’ll be sharing a link where you can see those dates and book directly.
But I also wanted to share a little bit of my heart with you guys because things are going to look a little different around here next year.
I've been doing photography for 16 years now. SIXTEEN. That's just wild to me! What started as something I loved has turned into something that has blessed my family in more ways than I could ever count. I've built relationships, watched babies grow into teenagers, photographed seniors who are now getting married, and some who are bringing their own babies back to me. 🥹
Do you know how special that is?! To be trusted with someone's memories year after year? It's something I will NEVER take for granted.
But somewhere along the way, I think I've forgotten that I'm allowed to have a life outside of being a photographer, too.
And turning 40 this year has really made me stop and think about A LOT of things.
One of those being that I don't think I actually do much of anything for myself. Like, ever. 😂
I've always been a giver. It's just who I am. If I can help someone, I will. If I can make something work, I will. If someone needs me, I'll figure it out.
And while I love that part of my heart, I'm realizing that you can only pour from your cup for so long before there's nothing left in it.
And y'all, my cup is running on fumes. 😂
I feel like my personal life is hanging on by a string some days. Between being a wife, a mama to three boys, running a business, sports, editing, messages, schedules, and just LIFE... I feel like I'm constantly trying to catch up with something.
And the part that really gets me is my boys.
I don't have many years left before they start flying the nest. And I KNOW every mama reading this understands just how fast that time goes.
I feel like I'm so busy trying to give everyone else 100% of me that the people who matter the most are getting whatever is left.
And sometimes that version of me isn't exactly the sweetest. Just ask my boys. They'll gladly tell you mama has been a little snappy lately. 😂🤦🏼♀️
Not because I want to be. But because I'm stressed, overstimulated, exhausted, and constantly feeling like there's something else I should be doing.
And that breaks my heart.
Because at the end of the day, I can always take another photograph. I can always book another session. But I cannot get these years back with my children.
And I don't want to wake up one day and realize I spent so much time capturing everyone else's memories that I missed being fully present for my own.
Another thing that's really been weighing on my heart is my relationship with God.
He's the one I turn to when life gets heavy. The one who has carried me through so much. And yet, I've allowed myself to become so busy that even my time with Him gets pushed aside.
And when the very blessings He's given me start taking me away from the things He's called me to prioritize, I think that's when it's time to reevaluate some things.
I've prayed a lot about this.
And I really feel like He's been showing me that just because I CAN do something doesn't always mean I'm SUPPOSED to.
Whew. That's a hard one for a people pleaser. 😂
Because let me tell y'all, I am a people pleaser to my CORE.
Every single year I sit down with my calendar and tell myself, "Okay, THIS year I'm going to block off time for my family. I'm going to take some weekends off. I'm going to slow down."
And every single year, what do I do?
Give those dates away. 🤦🏼♀️😂
Someone needs a session. Someone has a scheduling conflict. Someone can only do a certain day.
And I immediately start rearranging my life to make it happen.
And that's not anyone's fault but my own. You guys don't know what I've moved around behind the scenes, and I would never expect you to!
But I am realizing that if I don't start respecting my own boundaries, I can't expect anyone else to know where they are.
And then there's sports. ❤️
Oh, how I LOVE being on those sidelines.
And I really need to share my heart on this one because it's something that's become such a big part of my life.
I absolutely LOVE photographing these kids. I love the relationships I've built with them. I love the excitement when they see a picture of themselves doing something they worked so hard for. I love watching them grow, gain confidence, and become the young men and women God created them to be.
And I truly believe there's a calling in that. Something God has placed on my heart that goes so much deeper than just taking pictures.
That's why I've never wanted to be the photographer who charges for every single sports image. I know there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but for me, the joy has always been in giving those memories to the kids and their families.
But I also need people to understand what goes into that.
There are times I've spent hours on the sidelines taking hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pictures, only to have kids asking my boys at school the very next morning when I'm going to post them. 😂
And bless their hearts, I KNOW they're just excited! I love that they're excited!
But what they don't see is that I might have ten PAYING clients whose galleries I'm working on at the same time. Clients who have hired me, paid me, and are patiently waiting for their memories.
And those sports pictures? They're hours and hours of additional work that I'm doing simply because I love it.
Heck, my OWN kids' pictures are sitting in those same folders waiting to be edited. 😂
Sometimes I think people forget that just because they see me with a camera doesn't mean I'm not also trying to run an entire business behind the scenes.
And I'll be honest, there have been moments when I've felt a little taken advantage of.
I don't think it's intentional. I truly don't. But sometimes when you give and give and give, it becomes something people just expect.
And that's where it starts to hurt my heart a little.
Because when something you love doing out of the goodness of your heart starts feeling like another obligation, it slowly takes the joy out of it.
And I NEVER want that to happen.
So will you still see me on the sidelines with my camera? Absolutely! ❤️
But it may not be every game. And I may not get those pictures posted the next day. Or even that week.
Sometimes I might just be there as a mama, watching my boys play without feeling like I need to capture every single moment for everyone else.
And I hope that's something people can understand.
Because the truth is, I don't want to stop doing the things I love. I just want to stop feeling like I have to do ALL of them, ALL of the time.
And that brings me back to photography.
I think people sometimes forget that most photographers are a one-man show.
We're the photographer, the editor, the scheduler, the accountant, the marketing department, the customer service department, and everything in between. 😂
And while social media may show the pretty pictures and happy moments, there's a whole lot of late nights, missed family time, unanswered texts from friends, and mental exhaustion that nobody sees.
Burnout is SO real in this industry.
And I don't want to get there.
I don't ever want to pick up my camera and feel anything other than the love I've had for it all these years.
I don't want to lose the excitement of seeing your babies grow. Or the joy of photographing a wedding for someone I once took senior pictures of. Or the feeling I get when a family comes back year after year and trusts ME with their memories.
Because y'all, THAT is what I love.
That's what has kept me doing this for 16 years.
And I want to still love it 16 years from now.
So next year, my schedule is going to be much more limited.
I'm going to be intentional about the dates I make available, the time I give to my family, and the commitments I take on.
And the hardest part for me is going to be learning that saying "no" doesn't make me a bad person. It doesn't mean I don't care. And it certainly doesn't mean I'm not grateful.
It just means I'm finally learning that my time matters, too.
I know so many of you are mamas and dads juggling the exact same things. Work, kids, sports, marriage, responsibilities, and trying to find a little time to breathe somewhere in between.
So I know you understand.
And please know, this isn't me complaining about having work. Quite the opposite.
There are photographers out there praying for the kind of business God has blessed me with, and I never want to forget that.
But I also believe you can be incredibly grateful for something and still recognize that something needs to change.
Both can be true.
I think sometimes we get so caught up in trying to be everything for everybody that we forget God never asked us to do that.
He didn't call me to be the perfect photographer, the perfect mama, the perfect wife, or the person who never tells anyone no.
He called me to love Him, love my family, and use the gifts He's given me.
And I'm realizing that I can do all of those things without running myself into the ground.
I'm trusting that everything is going to work out exactly the way it's supposed to. It always has. God has never failed me, and I know He's not going to start now.
Maybe this next season isn't about doing MORE.
Maybe it's about doing LESS, but doing it with a fuller heart.
Being more present. More intentional. More at peace.
And being able to give my clients the BEST version of me instead of the exhausted version who's trying to squeeze one more thing into an already overflowing calendar.
If you've made it this far, bless your heart. 😂❤️
I just wanted to be transparent because so many of you have become so much more than clients over the years. You've become friends. You've allowed me into some of the most special moments of your lives, and I hope you know how much that means to me.
Thank you for loving my work, supporting my little business, trusting me with your memories, and giving me the opportunity to do something I truly love for all these years.
I am so incredibly thankful for every single one of you.
And I hope you'll continue to walk alongside me as I figure out what this next chapter looks like.
I'm not stepping away from something I love. I'm simply learning how to make room for the other things I love just as much. 🤍
Because I don't want to look back and realize I gave everyone the best of me except the people who needed me most.
Here's to learning boundaries at 40. Better late than never, right?! 😂
And here's to trusting God with the things I can't control, instead of trying to squeeze everything into a calendar that was already full.
I have a feeling this next chapter is going to be a really good one. ❤️
For anyone still hoping to get on my calendar for 2026, I'll post the link below with the few remaining Wednesday dates I have available and mini spots! Once those are gone, my calendar for the year will be closed.
Love you guys, and thank you for 16 wonderful years of memories. 🤍
https://EricaMaePhotography.pixieset.com/booking/regular-session
https://ericamaephotography.pixieset.com/booking/fall-mini-s-november-15th-2026
https://ericamaephotography.pixieset.com/booking/fall-mini-s-december-5th-chandler
