11/01/2024
All of this ❤️ I appreciate you all so much! Hug a photographer….they need it right now 🤣
On this very Happy Halloween, I would like to send out a gentle reminder that I am the soul individual that bears the weight of every single responsibility that this incredible business brings. That means throughout the day I am switching hats from photographer to editor to secretary to accountant to marketing and beyond.
Please, remember that I am not just a photographer. I am married and a mom to three incredible kids. Two boys that are in high school, one who is a senior and also a sophomore, both of which play sports and are currently both playing varsity football for Highland . Also, a little 8 year old girl who is a champion at life; the most courageous, supportive, and compassionate little thing you will ever meet. Several years ago, I made a promise to myself that I would never, ever feel guilty for choosing my family over my business. My husband, my children and the people that I love will ALWAYS come first over JKD Photography. I will be at sporting events. If my mom is transported to Madison or having surgery. If someone is sick, etc. I would like to make that clear, just so we are all on the same page. And I expect the same of you, as my clients. If something should happen and you need to reschedule a session, we reschedule every.single.time. Family first. Always.
My busy season extends from June 1st through December 15th, and during that time I photograph up to 60 seniors and so many incredible families. When I am not shooting, I am editing. I do not set a limit on edited photos. Not for seniors, not for families, not for minis. I don’t, I’m not going to. I give what I like, I give what is good. I give what’s fun, what’s a depiction of personality and relationship or love or what’s real. The experience that my clients get during their sessions and the final product is of the utmost importance to me, and the relationships that are cultivated between myself and them throughout that process is something that I cherish.
Does this mean that the turnaround times absolutely vary drastically during the busy season? Yep! Does it mean sometimes people may have to wait? Yes. However, if you are new around here the likelihood of you being referred to JKD by someone or several someones is very high, and that is because of what I pour into clients and the end product I give.
Most photographers burnout after 5 years of doing this full time. Five years. Add a 10 to that and that’s how long I have been doing this for people other than family. There are many factors that play into burnout but to summarize constant comparison to colleagues, client loyalty, personal/professional life balance, repetition, and the #1 is the constant pressure from clients to perform at a level for validation/approval that at certain times is vastly unattainable & unrealistic. Burnout is real, and it is hard to navigate. AND for me, this is my sole income. This business is my livelihood. I don’t have another job or income to fall back on, so I need a full time schedule in order to buy groceries, pay for dance, go on vacation, pay for props, business insurance, health insurance, etc. Like most families, we too, need two full-time incomes to survive. This is not a hobby for me. I absolutely love it. But I also NEED it because it’s my career.
With that being said, it’s extremely disheartening when people talk negatively about small businesses. Please, before you say anything negative about myself, another photographer or another small business for that matter, remember that you have NO IDEA what is going on behind the scenes or in their personal life. But you DO KNOW they are juggling so many hats as a business owner and human, more than likely running on fumes and caffeine since it is October 31st, and also still trying to be there for their family as much as possible plus take care of themselves. In addition, I can give you a 100% guarantee, unless there has been a hardware failure (which I have only ever experienced twice in my entire time doing this & that was absolutely horrid), you will get your gallery & the likelihood that it will be worth the wait is pretty darn high. Please, trust your photographer & practice patience while they push extra hard not only to meet yearbook deadlines, but also get families their galleries, and prepare for the next rush of holiday photo sessions. And above all else keep in mind the inquiries regarding gallery status, they create anxiety & a lot of extra work & time is spent responding to them that could be spent editing photos. Kindness & understanding wins, always.
