Month: November 2012

This is one from our trip to the beach in June. I know it looks like they are posing for me, but they weren’t. They are like this all the time when they are together.

They do have moments like this.  They don’t last long.  I savor them.

I met Hope while our kids were learning the how to dance the reel.  Hope’s son, Henry, danced in the same class Avery at our Irish dance school.  

We were both expecting our fourth child just a month apart and were both planning to deliver our babies at the Midwife Center of Pittsburgh.  Naturally, we had lots to talk about.

That year, we marched in the St. Patrick’s Day parade with our big bellies poking out of our coats.  (I wish I’d handed someone the camera and gotten a photo of us together that day!)  

Dance class was the only time I saw Hope and her family.  I enjoyed seeing them there and was sad when I heard that they were leaving town.

This summer Hope’s family moved to South Carolina.  In September, Hope was diagnosed with cancer.  She wrote the story of her diagnosis here.  

Hope and her family came to Pittsburgh for a visit this week.  I asked her if she had some time for me to photograph her family.  She asked me to come to a family party.  I spent an hour at the party with Hope and her fun loving family.  It was wonderful to witness the love and support that is surrounding Hope and her family right now.  

There are more photos from the day.  They can be found here.

While at dance class with Savanna, I took her dance teacher’s baby outside for a few photos.  She such a happy girl and at a perfect age to photograph!

Augusta was puzzled by the ritual but it didn’t take her long to get on board.

It’s all been about weather the past two weeks. A week of warm sun followed by rain and cold. I’m glad I spent so much time outside with my camera last week when it was so beautiful. I was like a squirrel storing acorns for winter.

Recently I wrote a short post about my decision to start a photography business. (Thanks for the encouraging comments. I really appreciated hearing from you.) I didn’t write much more that day because, well, I’m scared about the whole thing.

Having small kids has been the main reason for putting off being in business. But it hasn’t been the only reason that I have hesitated.  I have a laundry list of worries when I think about being a paid photographer.

What if I ruin the fun of photography for myself?

My life is already full. Where will I find the time?

Mean people.

I don’t know anything about running a business.

I’ll have to sell my work and talk about money.

There are already so many good photographers out there. 

I’ll be so busy taking pictures of other people’s families that I won’t want to take pictures of my own.

I could go on but you get the idea. All these fears have been in my mind, talking at the same time. Were they good reasons for not being in business? I couldn’t make it out.

Then one morning I read this post on Psychology for Photographers.  In the post, Jenika is writing to photographers – like me – who are afraid of marketing themselves.

“When you toil and sweat to produce something good, something beautiful and of the highest quality, it’s NOT just an abstract exercise. For you, your work is absolutely heartsoaked with your identity and love. It’s personal.”

“The first step into healing a fear of marketing is simply recognizing where the fear comes from.

 You’re not afraid because someone will say your work isn’t good enough.