Asheville’s most trusted Family Photographer gets vulnerable with a look back at the last 6 months of studio ownership…
Opening a Photography Studio in Asheville was a Dream Come True for me…
Opening a photo studio was something that my heart wanted for many years and when I finally found the perfect location to open in November of 2022, I felt a mixture of excitement, accomplishment, hope and tremendous amounts of fear, all at once.
The fear of failure stops people from pursuing the dreams of their heart every single day.
The truth is: I am a single parent and I live in a city where the cost of living continually rises. Inflation is being felt by everyone and I have no idea what the future holds. When I signed the lease and moved into the studio, it was the beginning of “slow season” for many photographers here in WNC. Despite these facts, I went ahead and signed up for an additional $2000 / month to open a portrait studio where I would (hopefully) photograph Maternity, Newborns, Baby Milestones, Cake Smash Sessions, Boudoir Sessions, Headshots and Branding…
There was just one problem with my plan… I needed (studio) clients, at least six of them every month, just to pay the basic bills. I was nervous. I was afraid. If I built it, would they come?
I jumped, even though I was afraid.
If you know anything about me, you know that I’m pretty non-judgmental, I’m a very live and let live type of person…
So, please, don’t take this next bit as me pushing my beliefs onto you. That is 100% not what this is…I will love you, support you, be your friend and / or serve you as a client, no matter what your beliefs are.
Personally, I’ve been walking through a valley since the beginning of the year. In January, lost two people who meant a great deal to me. I’ve been grieving. I’ve been struggling to get my footing with the responsibility of this big, exciting, new venture… There have been weeks where I’ve cried every day. The fear and anxiety was paralyzing at times.
I’m human.
I’m an artist.
I feel all the things. Deeply.
Lately, I’ve been studying this daily devotional journal that my mom gifted me in 2015. (I know.)
I’ve also been keeping a gratitude journal and I’ve been reading my Bible more… I guess I’ve been looking for comfort, assurance, peace and hope there… I’ve been reading scripture about how Great God Is. About what God can do. About the assurance that Faith in God can bring.
That nothing is too big.
When I opened this studio, I said:
“My priorities have changed. With Noah in school now from 8am-3pm every day, the weekends are all I have with him and how many of those do I get before he’s too cool to hang with his mom? I want to, need to transition away from shooting 8-10hr Weddings every weekend. I want my Family Photography business to be the money maker / to provide for us. I want to shoot more Maternity Portraits, Newborn Portraits, Baby Milestones, Fine Art Portraits, Headshots, Branding and Boudoir in this place.”
Looking back over the last six months (my first six months as a studio owner), it’s hard to deny what God can do, what God IS doing in my life.
Just look at all of these beautiful portrait sessions shot in my studio over the last six months!
(this isn’t even HALF of them, I just couldn’t include every session in this post!)😜
Today, I am grateful. Thank You.❤️
