Recently, I made the shift to specialize in weddings with fewer than 40 total people, and the pandemic had (almost) nothing to do with it. Over the past couple of years, I've been lucky enough to book multiple weddings like these- intimate, intentional, and stunning. Fewer guests means more quality connections. Less focus on the wedding means more focus on the marriage. ⁠

I love being at small weddings and I especially love photographing them, so why not just make them my thing?

Why did it take a global pandemic for me to even consider a shift that fits my business and values better? ⁠
⁠

Fear, mostly.

Fear of failure if I stopped hustling for all the weddings, mostly. Also there was a nagging mental block of what I'm "supposed" to do based off what I see others doing. But what works for others might not work for me. I've got to start with my own values first, and build my business around that, even if it means striking out on a path I've not seen anyone else forge before. Scary, yes. But also amazing and full of possibility.⁠

And when striking out on that new path, I decided to dig deep and use what I’ve got to make some magic happen.

Photographers, I know you're struggling. Our boat has been majorly rocked thanks to a global pandemic, and we're trying to figure out how to maintain our business and income (and sanity).⁠

First, take this as a reminder to allow yourself some grace.

We're collectively in a weird phase right now, and if you're not hitting income goals as quickly as you wanted for this year, it's ok.⁠ And second, despite the universe being out to get us, we can make adjustments and still find ways to serve our clients, create balance, and make money.