When I started my simple little photography business 9 years ago, I had no idea where this adventure would take me. All I knew was that I loved being behind the camera! It started with simple film classes in high school, and after progressing towards my first digital SLR purchase, the love for the hobby continued. I loved to teach myself new tricks with the camera and would constantly capture everyday life. Then, after a couple adventurous and supportive friends asked me to photograph their weddings (and paid me with equipment!), I realized that I had enough to build a portfolio and try this business out. I showed up at a couple wedding fairs with an appealing package and an affordable price and Kristen Anne Photography took off!
For those first few years, my prices stayed fairly low and I was busy. At over 30 weddings a year, I was officially in the business. I loved my schedule and was enamored with the thrill of weddings. There’s something about a wedding.. the pressure, the speed, the rush of emotions and all the quick captures. I truly loved the entire industry and couldn’t get enough! As the years went on, I raised my prices and relied on referrals to keep my business perfectly steady. Over time, I also saw that my business transformed into equal parts wedding and well, “everything else.” I was photographing many more babies, children and families. My former wedding clients were growing their families and the referrals continued. It was a wonderful job and a great schedule. My family was also growing and as I had more babies, a steady balance between my kids and my work was fairly easy to achieve. As a “working from home mom,” I loved the flow of both my home life and my work life. I enjoyed the editing time, the client meetings, the photo shoots and the weekend weddings.
Fast forward to the more recent months, as my kids are getting older and I am growing yet another baby in my belly (#4!), I found myself at a crossroads with my business. What was once easy an easy business to balance was getting harder to maintain and harder to keep up with. I was missing out on weekend soccer games and hockey practices because of the photo shoots. I was working long, late nights to keep up with the editing. All of the sudden, things weren’t so easy to keep balanced and I couldn’t keep my head above it all.
I’m sure you can see where this is going, but it is with a mix of sadness and excitement, that I announce that Kristen Anne Photography is closing its doors! It has been a big decision and not an easy one to make. Again, I have LOVED every bit of the past 9 years in the business. I have no regrets and only massively wonderful memories. When I say I had the BEST clients, I am not exaggerating. Those clients made my business what it became and brought more joy to a “job” than I could ever imagine. So, from the bottom of my heart.. thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my many clients, who I can easily call my friends. Thank you for supporting me in this exciting, fulfilling and ever-changing industry of photography. Thank you for the compliments, the continued business and for all the smiles you gave me while I photographed the monumental moments in your life. I consider it a HUGE honor!
Even writing this little blog seems insufficient considering all the memories that are stirred and all the emotions I have been feeling. It will be a strange transition for me as there will be SO much that I will miss! But, I am genuinely excited about this next phase of life. This feels like an inadequate and bittersweet good-bye.. I wish I could give you all a huge hug and tell you again.. THANK YOU!
