A turning point and a trip down photography lane.

 Things are quickly changing in our family. My last baby will start mothers day out in the fall and we are blessed to be in the crazy mix of simultaneously parenting a toddler, a preteen and two teenagers. All of that being said, Ive come to the realization that my "stay at home mama" life is about to make a big change as the older kids and the baby become more independent. I started to look at my personal goals because, while being home with these babies has been such a blessing, Ive been itching to get back into the workforce at some capacity. I sat down a few weeks back and made several pro and con lists with all of my potential options. Option one was to go  back to get a masters degree in social work, counseling, or nursing because my heart is so set on the fulfillment of helping/serving others in some capacity. That option seemed really appealing, until I recognized that while college actually sounds really fun to me at this point in life,  I would be racking up a good bit of debt while also hoping to retire in about 20 years and committing to a job that would most likely eliminate the flexibility of scheduling around my kids that our family depends on and I have grown to love. Option two is to find a job teaching in a private school and making use as much as possible of my Sociology/social work degree. That option is still on the table, but then there is option three, this little love of mine called photography that really still has my heart. I could not help but think of so many blessings that this passion/career has given in return and I couldn't resist a quick little walk down memory lane as I made the photography pro and con list. Way back in 2012 I very absentmindedly set up a little vendor booth at a local consignment sale. At this point I was also offering embroidery and hand sewn gifts which proved not to be my strong suit because it required sitting in a room by myself with a machine trying to get things perfect and I "embroidered" monograms right into the front and the back of items on more than one occasion. There is also the little random fact that I was calling my business "Anderson Overflow", this was based off of my last name at the time combined with the thought that this business would come from the "overflow" of my heart, in the biblical sense. 

                    

I really thought the name of my new little adventure was precious until I called to get my business license and the man on the other end of the line asked if I was running a septic tank business. So, after that first year of eliminating the sewing, changing my business name and shooting lots and lots of sessions for free and/ next to nothing because I was still learning, I made some changes at my next marketing event. 

 This time I had more clients, a better focus and I was really starting to get a handle on using my camera after investing in several classes and conferences in Augusta and Atlanta. 

Slowly but surely this little business grew. I made more contacts and started branching out to attend expos and overcoming my secret fear of photographing and charging clients that I had never met,  since almost every client I had photographed  at this point was a freebie, a friend or a friend of a friend. I also slowly began to have more confidence in my abilities as I continued to invest in equipment, enroll in classes and research photography.  I also began to realize that I could possibly have a profitable business. I do realize that most people go into a business with the intention of making a profit, but then you have people like myself, who go into things just for the love (reference that sociology/social work degree here) and feel guilty for even charging people. My first real expo wall was borrowed from a precious friend and covered with the new logo I had just had designed through Etsy along with some of my favorite newborn shots at that time including fabric pieces I rummaged to find from the sale bins at a local fabric store and props I would rummage through my parents house to borrow for sessions. 

My next display came together after a TON of research since I was a newly single mom at this point with two goals in mind; I needed this job to support myself and my two children and I needed something I could transport, tote and put together myself. As I 5'3 self proclaimed wimp, that was not an easy feat but this setup was actually primarily foam board that I painted and used to proudly display my final business name change and images that began to consistently express my personal style of photography featuring bright, bold colors and my love for children's beautiful faces. ( Side story... my business name was actually given to me by two very sweet local friends who were initially using this name that I loved and told them that I wished I had thought of, and at this point of my needing a name change, they were no longer pursuing photography, and one of them was actually doing some logo design work, so she actually designed my new logo for me too.) By this point I was pretty comfortable in my work and I knew that I had found my passion in working primarily with families and children while adding a few weddings into the mix each year for fun and variety. 

A few years later, once I was remarried, my business had grown enough that I was able to rent a beautiful studio space for general indoor sessions and to accommodate those sweet little newborns and babies during the cold months.  Joey built me a wooden wall that made a gorgeous display and I sincerely enjoyed every single event and opportunity to make connections with new clients. 

  

And then came my sweet Mellie, and while I still get the baby fever every time I see a little tiny baby, Joey reminds me how sick I was during that entire pregnancy, and each of my other pregnancies. So,  I took time away from my little business to soak up this last baby and to snuggle her to my little hearts content. I sent my clients to other local photographers that I love and respect. I watched my own babies grow at home and  I watched my clients families change and grow via facebook. 

And now, after writing all of my lists of pros and cons and looking at every option for my life at this turning point of sorts, I cant help but to be drawn back to this little business that could; the sweet little "job" that allowed me the added perk of being able to capture my own children as they grew, that gave me the invaluable gift of time to spend with my sister in her last year because of the flexibility, that same little job that made me have a little bit of confidence in myself and acknowledge that I might not be so bad at this photography thing and the fact that I could actually stand on my own two feet and make a living doing something that I really love.