Holiday hams

A few weeks back I decided to make the most of a lazy Sunday morning by breaking out some of the photo shoot props I'd acquired in my new line of work. I haven't written much about it here on the blog, but this fall I decided to pursue my love/hobby of photography more in depth and that has meant a whole new world of possibilities for me professionally.  I guess it took me half of my life to believe I was a "photographer" so it still feels like a bit of a shock to be putting it out there for mass consumption. But I am. And it's going really well. In just a little over two months, I've managed to line up enough shoots that my portfolio of birthday parties, family portraits and weddings is growing quickly.  Many of my neighborhood friends have passed on my information to others and it seems the best gift of all to be in such a supportive community. 

I already have several more shoots scheduled this month, plus volunteering for the annual Santa photo-op at the park's Holiday Boutique this weekend. Mostly, I'm just so happy to be doing something that feels natural and right--like it was part of me all along. I'm not worrying about the next few months or how I will grow a business. I'm just focusing on each session in terms of location and each family's needs and really putting my everything into the outcome. I love seeing what comes out of a photo shoot in terms of the personalities and the little moments you couldn't invent. It's been good practice working with these two girls of my own for 5 years already and I'm still learning what makes them tick.  Trying to get a good photo of the two together can still be challenging which is true for any family. Just because they individually like to ham it up doesn't mean I'll get that from their interaction. But patience is the key and sometimes you also have to let it go. It doesn't always work the way you'd like, but the photos are proof that you tried. And in life, sometimes it's just trying that counts. So we dressed up and played for a bit together and I got exactly what I wanted--a few holidays pics of my girls to remember how special these ages are right now. Because they won't be 2 and 5 forever, even if it feels like it sometimes.