A blog!?
A blog!? What?! It's true. It was time!
This journey has been absolutely incredible and I couldn't be more thankful for the road it has led us down. I'll tell you how we got here... lots of prayer! Lots. Justin, my husband, and I contemplated and weighed the pros/cons of me staying home with our (then, almost 2 year old) son and daughter, who was born in August. We went back and forth for what seemed like months, until we finally felt we were being led in one direction: for me to stay home. But. Staying home meant more than just being able to stay home with the kids, it also meant full-time photography. At least as much as one can squeeze into a day with a toddler and an infant.
We'll back up to 2013 for a minute. It was then that I really started pursuing photography more than just a hobby. After a few sessions, I was urged and, well, pushed by a few friends and my husband to do more with my talent. So, after much contemplating, praying, and lots of encouragement from Justin, I did. I started doing more sessions and eventually it grew and grew! I was truly amazed! Doors opened up and there was not a doubt in my mind that it was meant to be and it had all happened for a reason. A couple months later we found out baby #2 was on the way! We were ecstatic! The idea of me staying home crossed our minds, but we weren't sure if that was the route we wanted to go or if we could make it work. We had a few options to consider before deciding whether I would go back to work or stay home. So, again, we prayed. When I would put our son to bed we would pray that God show us His will and show us a way for mommy to stay home with him. One day, it dawned on me, He had shown us a way! He had literally dropped it right in my lap! Photography. That was His way. Once we finally saw what He had been trying to show us for literally the entire pregnancy, we were at total peace with the decision. It's crazy what can happen when you put your faith in Him. Everything literally fell into place.
So, after our daughter was born in August, I made the leap of faith to leave my full-time, salary position and pursue my career as a photographer and stay-at-home-mom...err, work-at-home-mom. She was almost 5 weeks when I started back taking pictures. My fall sessions took off like wild fire! October and November were booked before September was over! It's amazing and I couldn't be more thankful to each and every one of my clients for that!
Photography is my passion and being a full-time photographer was my goal. It's still so surreal to me that this is what I do. I'm so glad that I can do what I love every day. It's opened so many doors and created so many friendships that I'm so thankful for. I love creating pictures for families to love, cherish, and share with friends and family.
As I continue to pursue this career, I will be making some changes to my pricing structure for 2015. The new pricing will go into effect December 1st, but any 2015 sessions will still be able to take advantage of 2014 rates until December 1st. Thank you all so much for your support! I couldn't have done this without you!
xo, Tana
