Lifestyle Newborn // Baby Scarlett // Steilacoom, WA

I went to visit sweet Scarlett a few days after she came home from the hospital. When I walked in the door, she was snoozing away, grinning peacefully in her sleep. Mama woke her and nursed her, changed her diaper (which she was not a fan of!) and cuddled her.

In true lifestyle form, the session was incredibly laid back and sweet. I blended into the background while mom and dad soaked up those precious moments with their new princess.

We did a few "posed" photos in Scarlett's bassinet, then took her outside to do a bit of exploring. It was a warm August day and Scarlett loved the fresh air.

Finally, we wrapped up the session in Scarlett's nursery with mom and dad loving on their sweet girl. It was such a wonderful, relaxed session. Scarlett was an absolute doll to work with!

2015 // A Year of Growth

2014 was an awesome year. It was the year that, after 7 years of pouring my heart into my photography, I finally took the leap to license my business and start taking clients. This was a huge commitment--not just the investment of time and money, but the enormous responsibility of delivering valuable, once-in-a-lifetime artwork to paying clients... and without ending up treading water.

There are a few things I want to talk about as we begin this new year, as I will be making some big changes in my business. First is my pricing. In the spirit of being transparent, I'd like to explain my recent increase in prices.

I have always regarded photography as more of an art and a creative outlet than a service, so for years, I made myself a hobbyist instead of a professional. Because of this, when I first crossed into professional portrait photography and priced my sessions, I missed the mark. I greatly undervalued my work and my business. I didn't realize my expenses, and I completely forgot about paying myself for my time! This, unfortunately, is a mistake that many photographers make in their first few years of business. This is why, especially in a market as saturated as the one here in the Puget Sound area, it is so easy to find a photographer with decent skills and prices so low that you could afford to use them every month. But a person can't build a successful business on those prices. A $100 session doesn't even cover overhead, never mind a salary or profit. When, at the end of 2014, I was totaling up my sales for the year and finding that I still had nothing substantial to show for it, I knew I needed to make a change.

Provided I meet my goals, my new prices allow for enough to cover my overhead, a modest hourly pay for myself, and a small profit to help build my business (including furthering my photography education). For me--for now--this is enough. Should I meet my goals this year, I will make enough for a few equipment upgrades and adequate marking materials to help build my business. Yes, as my business grows, I will need to raise my prices again. However, now that I've based my prices on numbers and necessities, rather than how I feel about my own work, I am much more confident in what I'm offering. I know that my products are worth what I'm selling them for, and I hope my clients will agree!

Second is an even bigger change--a change in location. In 2014, my husband and I were faced with the difficult decision that comes around every few years in an Army career. As his separation date was approaching, we knew we needed to come to an agreement on whether we would stay in the Army and move again, or leave the military and make one big move home. We finally decided that this year, we will leave the Army and relocate to our hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

We don't have a definite move date. It will be sometime between July and September of 2015, and I will surely keep everyone posted in the meantime. As of now, I am only accepting Washington sessions through July 1 and I am not taking Oklahoma sessions until September 1. As our move gets closer and we have more information, I will open up more summer sessions.

I'm going to miss my wonderful Washington clients who made my launch year such a smooth and memorable experience. I'll miss watching your babies grow up, and I'll especially miss getting up in the middle of the night to help you welcome your soldiers home! I will always be grateful for the amazing clients that I got to know here.

However, on the flip side, I'm thrilled to be going home. I have many clients back in Oklahoma who watched my work change and grow from 2007 until now. I love and appreciate that so many people back home are already looking forward to booking with me in the future, and I cannot wait to work with you!

So, here's to 2015--another year of growth, change and love. These, after all, are the things that the human spirit thrives on, and I can only hope that my art and business will do the same.

Yours,
Emily

Country Maternity Session // Briana & Tyler // Yelm, WA

When Briana and I started planning her session, she had a pretty good idea of how she wanted it to look. Briana wanted a country chic theme to match baby Emmalyn’s nursery, and after some brainstorming, we decided on the perfect location—my backyard in Yelm!

Briana is also a portrait photographer, so she knew just how to make the most of her session. She was prepared with poses she wanted to try and even brought along props that would tie in perfectly with Emma’s theme. The majority of her session was shot in a gorgeous overgrown field, then we finished up with a sweet country chic setup in front of the tire swing.

Briana and Tyler are such a sweet and loving couple, and this session was a blast to shoot! I love collaborating with other local artists to create beautiful images like these. I’ve been lucky to have opportunities to work with Briana on some beautiful sessions!