Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The summer of change

Well, it's been two months since my last post.  I vowed NOT to let that happen when I started this blog, but then life got in the way.

I'll bring you up to date quickly.  I had all three of my children home with me this summer, including my wonderful three year old that requires minute-by-minute attention.  For a while, I tried to stay current with my postings and work.  It wasn't working though...I needed to walk away from the camera and computer and embrace this summer of 2010 for what it is:  potentially the last summer with my kids at home, enjoying my small photography business without the worries of a REAL full-time job.  So that's what we did.  I spent my days at the pool, going to putt-putt, watching movies, playing "grocery store" and "school," making cupcakes for no special reason, cooking dinner and loving my family.  Afterall, these are the pleasures of life, right?!

It was wonderful, except for a few tiny details...I was going CRAZY not working.  I'm not really a "type A" personality, but I do always have some kind of project that I throw myself into and love it when I'm completely immersed in it.  The other small detail (ok, actually it's a really large detail) was that no sessions equals no money.   Because of this lovely economy, my family has been very conscious of every dollar we spend for the past few years.  We also started to realize over the course of this summer, that even when the photography business is good, it's not good enough for our little family of five with two growing boys to survive on...so what now?!

After many gut-wrenching discussions and lots of soul searching, my husband and I decided that there was really only one answer:  I had to get a REAL job.  By "real" I mean a job that gives you a W2 at the end of the year and provides health insurance and, whoaaaaa, a salary!!!  Fortunately, I spent 14 years in a rewarding Advertising career that I loved and I could always go back.  And the time came to go back.  When I wasn't entertaining the kids this summer, I was busy reconnecting with old friends from my advertising days and doing some serious networking.  I think it might have paid off, as I am currently waiting to hear about a job that I've been interviewing for...it's perfect, so I really hope it comes through.

So what about my photography business?  It's still here and it will always be here, because it lives in my heart.  It's a part of me and it will always be a part of me.  Whether I am booking 10 clients a week or 10 clients a month or 10 clients a year, it'll be here.  I love the camera and I love how I feel when I pick it up and look at the subject on the other side of the lens.  Forever, as long as I can see, I'll have it.  The business may take different shapes and forms, but it's still my baby.

I had the pleasure of photographing one of my dearest friends and her fiance last weekend and it confirmed to me that, yep, no matter what, I'll always be a photographer...because that's who I am in my heart.