09/27/2026
Let’s get real and raw.
Your business doesn’t give me an extravagant life.
Your business helps keep a roof over our heads. It helps pay bills. It buys things my kids and pets need. It puts gas in my car. It pays for the 4–6 different subscriptions I need just to keep my photography business running.
I don’t even own my editing software. I subscribe to it.
I’ve been in business for 15 years, and I haven’t been able to upgrade most of my equipment in about 13 years.
Because the truth is, photography has never existed in a little bubble separate from the rest of my life.
Whenever I had a lot of business and my husband didn’t, I took the reins. Photography became what helped carry our family until things picked back up for him.
And over those 15 years, life has happened. A LOT of life.
I became a mother.
I’ve been in four car accidents.
I lost my mother and my mother-in-law.
We went through a foreclosure. We’ve lost vehicles for various reasons. We bought our current home, and TWO HOURS after signing the paperwork, my husband was laid off.
A few months later, we fought for and received guardianship of three additional children. Suddenly we had six kids in our home. They lived with us for two years before returning home.
I’ve dealt with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and physical health problems.
My oldest has had four surgeries in the last year alone, with three appointments a week following each one.
I’ve homeschooled. We’ve tried virtual school. We’ve changed schools. I’ve navigated mental health struggles with my children.
I handle the physical and mental health appointments for my household. At one point, that meant managing appointments and schedules for eight people. Now it’s five, which is still a lot.
I drive all over the place.
My husband is typically gone for work.
And through all of it, I’m still trying to actually BE there for my kids.
I don’t have a village. People come through every now and then, and I’m grateful when they do. But the majority of the time?
It’s me, myself, and I.
And somewhere in between all of that, I’m a photographer.
I’m answering messages. Scheduling. Photographing sessions. Culling. Editing. Uploading. Delivering galleries. Making graphics. Advertising. Keeping up with software. Paying subscriptions. Trying to stay relevant in an industry that has become incredibly competitive.
That’s why I quote a 3–4 week turnaround.
Not because I don’t care about your photos.
Not because I forgot about you.
Not because I’m sitting around doing nothing.
That is the amount of time I realistically need to give you the work I promised while also managing the life happening inside my home. Larger groups and larger jobs can take even longer.
And then there’s Murphy’s Law, which apparently has taken up permanent residence at my house. 😂
I’ve had laptops and computers crash. Internet that refuses to cooperate. I’ve changed providers. I’ve gotten a new computer. My internet STILL randomly connects and disconnects.
And because my editing software is subscription-based, when the internet decides it’s done cooperating, then I am unable to WORK.
I’m telling y’all: Murphy’s Law is the law of the land over here.
Meanwhile, photography has changed.
Competition is immense.
There are incredibly talented photographers everywhere, and many of them can return galleries much faster than I can.
And I understand that we live in a now, now, now world.
If two photographers offer something similar at a similar price and one says a few days while the other says 3–4 weeks, I understand why “a few days” sounds better.
I just can’t promise something I know I may not be able to deliver.
I am not fast.
I am as fast as I can realistically be.
And sometimes I wonder if that means there just isn’t a place for someone like me in this industry anymore.
Because all I really want is to work.
I want to create.
I want to have a little fun doing something I’ve loved for 15 years.
I want to make images people are excited to have.
And I want to help keep my family afloat.
I’m not asking photography to give me some extravagant lifestyle.
I’m asking it to help me buy groceries. Pay a bill. Fill my gas tank. Take care of my kids. Keep the software running so I can continue creating.
So when you book with me, share one of my posts, recommend me to someone, or even just interact with my work so Facebook remembers my business page exists…
it matters.
Probably more than you realize.
And if you’re one of the people who has continued choosing me despite knowing I might take a little longer:
Thank you.
Seriously.
Because in a world that keeps getting faster, you gave the photographer who sometimes needs a little more time the opportunity to keep doing what she loves. ❤️
And believe me I know we are all struggling. Don’t forget small business owners are too.
