Things I'm doing. Things I'm not doing.

>> Last minute opening for THIS Sunday morning in the DC area or Baltimore - please reach out (just hit reply!) if you're interested and feel like spontaneity is your best defense against overthinking this and making it truly natural. <<

It's taken me 12 years of running this business to believe that a slower summer is a perk.

I went to university to be a teacher, so this should be a welcome parallel, and yet, so many years I've allowed slower summers make me feel guilty.

But there's a peace that comes from clarity about what you're working for and how you're doing it. Clarity means I can step on the gas sometimes and let myself drift a little in others. Space means I have room to think, iterate, improve, and keep falling in love with my job. Of course this is laced with privilege and support that makes space possible. It's also laced with lots of intention and years of building this business on purpose.

Once I'm past the initial panic of “what am I doing with my life!!!!” - I realize that this is the life.

Ebb and flow, fast and slow, in and out, strict and loose.

In other words - it's summer and I'm writing this at the kitchen table surrounded by craft supplies and a six year old building who is building a lego scorpion next to me and singing “a thousand pies” from Octonauts at full voice.

I like my peaceful work blocks. I like this, too (sometimes).

Inside my mastermind group this year, we talked several times about perks - naming ours when they show up, grabbing them with delight and gratitude, being a good boss.

It's hard to do when you work in a dark tunnel.

Easy to compare to the outside perceptions of what other people are producing and shooting and making without any context. I don't shoot as much as other high-earning photographers and I don't make as much either.

But here's some other things I am (and am not) doing.

Things I'm doing:

• playing nightly games of speed scrabble
• building many mini robots out of legos with my boys
• setting up a movie theatre showing of Toy Story 4 with popcorn, candy, and stuffed animal guests in exchange for 2 hours of uninterrupted work
• constantly making grocery lists of things that ran out 3 minutes after my last trip to the grocery store.
• reading cookbooks like they're novels, then making quesadillas for dinner (again)
• riding my indoor bike every day as the sun comes up
• accepting extended family sessions outside of my normal radius because I can't think of anything more precious and what an honor to be sought out for that. Yes of course I'll come to you.
• ordering new sizes of kids sandals because they somehow keep growing
• becoming the tooth fairy for a second time 'round after a particularly vicious bunch of market corn on the cob
• photographing beautiful moments on a cheap point-and-shoot camera
• borrowing a neighbors pool pass for a spontaneous evening family adventure, complete with snack-bar soft pretzels and fries for dinner
• gathering assets and writing copy for a website redesign/upgrade
• waking up in the night for my dog
• building an end-to-end school photography workflow course + app with my super smart husband in the margins of our regular jobs
• dying red streaks in my daughters hair
• reading books underneath a fort of blankets
• calling my parents
• playing hoops with the kids in the culdesac after dinner
• listening to the Gracie Abrams record we bought in New York.

Things I'm not doing:

• successfully growing sunflowers
• posting regularly on social media
• recording new podcast episodes
• stressing about rescheduling a bunch of sessions because of weather
• organizing my pantry
• vacuuming every day (let it go, let it go)
• chasing perfect light for perfect sunset sessions on perfect mountaintops
• texting back in a timely manner
• making my bed every day
• listening to educational or business or life-improvement podcasts.

Perspective is something that matters a lot to me.

I think that in 20 years I'd be happy to see those lists.
I wouldn't have a lot of regrets.

I could be richer. That would come with its own perks.

But I'm not mad about how I get to spend (and not spend) this slow summer.

// new + noteworthy //

THINGS I SAVED THIS WEEK//
Butter mom?! Yes please.

In honor of the good men.

I'm not sure why the algorithm fed me this, but 😭😭😭😭. I'm not a “wedding photographer” but this makes me in all my feels for the couple I do shoot here and there. (Did you know I have a private weddings page for direct referrals? It's here if you're curious).

// ways to work together //

SIGNATURE SESSIONS - all the details → BOOK A SESSION | If capturing the things you're doing and not doing as a family this summer sounds meaningful, I'd love to make photos that help you hold them for now and for the perspective that will come later, too.

BRAND SESSIONS - Summer is a great time to refresh the brand vibes and think ahead to fall marketing. Great photos are a clutch piece of any website redesign, online shop, or new product campaign and I’d love to get the creative juices flowing with you to bring it to life.

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CREATIVITY | FAMILY | SIMPLE JOYS

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