I am writing this blog post just as much for myself as I am writing this for you. See when I started this business, it was driven by two main goals. One, so that I could continue to be home with my kids and two so that I could contribute financially to our family income . It all seemed like such a simple equation. I could have never predicted the path that Silver Orchid Photography would lead me down, and at the time, I truthfully didn’t realize I’d end up being a mother of 4 kids!

After 4 years of pouring my whole self into all parts of my life…my family, my home, my work, I am starting to feel so torn, especially because my heart is so tied to both my family and my work. That’s what happens when your love your job right? The thing is, I have met and exceeded just about every goal I have set for myself professionally. Its kind of crazy really. The only thing is that I am realizing that I have done it at the expense of myself and in some sense my time with my family. “Me” being the last on the list of my own priorities.

I know for certain this is a struggle and a guilt that all working mothers feel. I pretty much have always had those feelings whether I was working full-time, part-time, or since I’ve been running my own business. But the difference this time is I do this to myself…I don’t have a crappy boss or company’s expectations to live up to. It’s just me and my own expectations and pressures. I’ve had some real jerk bosses but I think I’m harder on my own self than any micro managing boss I ever had! What a tyrant I am hahah.

So, what to do. Well, I have been working FEVERISHLY over the past year to get a handle on the crazy. Bottom line is I have to work, I love what I do, and I want to continue to grow Silver Orchid Photography and be a part of my clients lives. I just need to balance that with the same amount of care to myself and my family so I don’t burn myself out or squander this precious time with my kids…I mean I still have a baby in my house and for sure she’ll be the last. I can’t blink too hard or itll be gone!

What does this mean for you? Well, first off I am streamlining my pricing. You will see a slight price increase, but more so you will see changes to the way the packages are structured. It’s really more about making ordering simpler and giving you more flexibility and freedom to order what you want, not what the packages decide for you.

Secondly, I will have limited availability each month for full sessions. With my wedding bookings increasing and frankly my kids lives over taking mine, I will really have a limited number of session times available each month. I used to say yes to everything and everyone and any time and just scramble, but I just can’t do that anymore. I have no doubt that I will continue to be able to get everyone one my calendar, however if you want a specific date and time, I’d say book it right away don’t wait…I just booked a family session for October 25th and I’m sure they thought they were crazy to ask this early, but for real, that’s the only Sat that month I have open!

Ok, that is all. Sorry for the wordiness, but it is so important to me that you all know how much I truly care about what I do, and that every decision I make for my business is weighed upon heavily. I am so lucky to have this amazing family who supports me in ways I could never even put into words….I could never do this without the support of these 5 amazing people, and I just want to make sure that I keep in perspective that they are the reason I started this all!<3

photo credit Daniel Pullen Photography