Truth-telling.

What to write and how to write it and when to write them when it feels like absolutely nobody's head is on family photography right now???

AKA marketing in this golden beginning age of 2026 in America.

Good thing this newsletter is the least marketing-like marketing I've ever done for my business. After almost 3 whole years of sending letters every Wednesday night – I feel like writing it has become routine - a part of the conversation or maybe a respite from it. (re: last weeks tale on the guinea pigs that had nothing to do with photography or business but had so many replies from people laughing in solidarity, so the goal of connection = achieved).

I've kicked off mentorships with 7 different photographers across the country this month - 5 of which are part of the upcoming Photo Fuel Retreat and Mastermind - and already, the thing that comes up over and over is how am I supposed to connect with people to hire me when there are 10 gazillion photographers in my area also making great photos?

And I tell them - they're not just hiring you for your photos. They're hiring you because of the things you say. And don't say. In words, in images, and in actions.

People connect with others through shared experiences, beliefs, and values. If you don't share any of yours, it's hard to build trust or familiarity. If you are acting as a cheap service provider and seeking clients who just want to take a pretty picture, maybe that's fine. But when you want to make photos with people that hold honest stories, you have to be honest, too.

I think it's possible to be values-driven and still be inclusive of those who don't share the same values, but that's a can of worms I don't have the energy or time to take on today.

Bottom line is, people build trust with each other by chatting at the farmers market and talking face to face at the school event and meeting up at the playground and having conversations that go beyond emojis in the comments. And hiring usually comes after trust.

A lot of my clients first found me on Google, but a lot of other people come my way because one of those people sent them this letter and told them to sign up so they started to get to know me and my heart for this work. Or they saw how I photograph their kids with personality and delight in school photos. Or sometimes - pretty rarely - they found me on instagram and got the sense that I seemed like someone they could invite to their home.

Sometimes we are knowing and talking to one another for years before a person considers hiring me. Sometimes they never hire me, and that's okay, too. Writing becomes a way I say the same things I try to communicate with my photography, just in a different medium. I hope you get some of that message in your soul, whether it's through my free words or custom photographs.

Since maybe I've never totally spelled it out, here's the cliff notes of that message, just so we're all fully on the same page:

I believe photography is about truth-telling. It is journalism in the streets. And it is the legacy of stories and love in a family. It has the power to fuel love on the hardest days and spark memories that matter deeply, no matter how big or small.

I specialize in the small ones.

I've found that they bring gratitude to the surface and help us celebrate being alive and together. Noticing the small moments helps us see humanity differently. Holding stories of simple goodness, wild joy, tender transition, and young innocence brings perspective into a world that desperately needs more of those things.

I try to be unapologetically myself so that you feel comfortable doing the same and when we're both being honest, your photos are true stories.

It starts at home, and sure that's a pretty narrow view for me to focus on, but that's my lane and I'm sticking to it.

// new + noteworthy //

AN OFFERING // A coach I admire recently suggested that photographers who don't know how to market right choose to “Share your images as an offering. Remind us that there is good unfolding in the world. Show our nervous systems that love and connection is unfolding everywhere.”

So here is a collection of photos from a recent newborn session and the story behind it that will make you feel good inside.

A COMMUNITY // 2 of the photographers I shared meals with and shot alongside at a retreat in 2024 live and work in the Twin Cities. You can show them and their work some direct love here and here. They are both beautiful humans with huge hearts and can connect you with local advocacy and ways to support our neighbors in Minnesota if you're looking to let your money speak.

AN OUTING // Just kidding, we're on day 4 of being stuck in our unplowed neighborhood that is now just 3 inches of solid ice + snow in the near forecast so we're not going anywhere.

A REMINDER // Giving is a integrated part of my business and I like to support organizations that show care to families and people without discrimination. You can view some of the organizations I've supported over the years here and nominate a family, organization, (or yourself) for my quarterly donated sessions.

A LAUGH // The sarcasm. The truth.

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CREATIVITY | FAMILY | SIMPLE JOYS

On instagram @leahoconnell.photo

Learn more about: Family sessions | Newborn Sessions | Education