December 9th, 2018. My first paid photo shoot. I know Lauren from MOPS and she reached out to me after seeing the pictures I took for Katie and Evan. This is exactly what I've been hoping would happen, that people would see my work and ask me to take their photos, so it feels like a big deal. I think I'd have more success with that if I was more active on social media, so I may work on that in the future.
They wanted a Christmas card photo and it was already December when she contacted me so we didn't have the luxury of waiting for a perfect golden hour. It was pouring down rain the day we'd scheduled so I went to their house and used the porch. I was holding my camera with one hand and an umbrella in the other. There wasn't a lot of options for posing since we only had this one small, dry spot.
When I got home and put the photos on my computer there were pretty dark and needed a lot of straightening. It forced me to get to work in Lightroom and I learned a lot about editing. Looking at them now I actually feel pretty proud. They're not perfect but I think they capture the love and connection of their family well. The thing I love about photography is that it freezes a moment in time, and I know how important that is. I've never regretted documenting a chapter in my own family history and am confident they won't either.
As I learn more about this form of art I'm conflicted on where to go from here. I love taking pictures for people and learning in the process but I also already have a full time job. Family photos usually need to be done on the weekends and sacrificing time away from my family is hard to justify. I want more people to ask me to take their photos but I also know that by doing that something else has to give. Right now I'm not sure what the right balance is. I'm really glad I was able to capture these images and will just have to wait and see what opportunities present themselves next.
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