I’m not one who likes to put herself ‘out there’ so much. So this is about to be probably the hardest post I’ll ever write. ESPECIALLY since I was able to attend some of the PPSC convention (close to home) and have befriended some seasoned photographers in our area who may stop by to read this. Eeek. And also especially being that it’s about my business, because you know, you want everyone to think you have. it. ALLLLL down pat, and that there is not a struggle in sight. I, however, also believe that hearing someone else’s struggles in life can be a total encouragement; especially during this time of struggle that our whole nation seems to be experiencing.
I’ve gotten a little kick in the booty by a certain gal to share my photography testimony. My story. My struggles. My tears. All those times I quit being a photographer. But also my triumphs in why I went back to photography those times I quit. lol This would be the part where I would suggest you buckle your seat belt. It’s going to be the biggest whirlwind you’ve ever heard. lol
I went to college for 6.5 years and came out with a job doing exactly what I went to school for! Teaching Agricultural Science, Foresty and Wildlife Management to younger generations; trying to make an impact somehow to this world. But then… the monkey wrench (or so I thought at the time) was thrown in the mix. If my husband was to advance with his career it would require him (us) to move to some other state than SC. We of course, said our prayers and decided that his career was tops in our relationship, so off to Cleveland, TN we moved in 2007. In September. You know, the month AFTER school starts. So… yours truly, was without a job because by the time we knew of the move and I started applying, all the positions to start the year had been filled. My husband and I agreed that I should use this time to determine if I truly wanted to teach for the rest of my life, or if not, I needed to figure out what it is I was supposed to be doing. So I examined my then, 28 years of life. Decided that I could not see myself teaching for the rest of my life… and especially if we were to have children of our own one day. But I did discover this– that my life, all the way back to childhood, encompassed one common factor. A camera! Here are a couple of examples of what I mean.
- I worked for the US Forest Service two summers during college, and cruised timber for Rayonier, Inc. in South Georgia another summer in college, and… I have a whole scrapbook of this hot, sweaty, stinky, boundary paint infested, herbicide hack-and-sprayed experience. Still not sure if one should have pictures of all that, but somehow photo opps were found during all that craziness. lol.
- In the classroom teaching Agriculture. Again, same story. I have TONS of pictures of the whole experience! My students actually were tired of me busting out the camera for every. single. FFA meeting, field trip, activity etc. HERE is an example.
- Vacations were always well documented!
- My childhood room was plastered with BFF photos!
- I’m a scrapbooker, so… guess how many boxes and scrapbooks of pictures I have?!
With that discovery, it was pretty evident what I needed to be doing!
And now, let me tell you a story. Once upon a gorgeous TN day, there was a confident and excited 28 year old– who wanted to be a photographer– sitting in her truck with her laptop. She lived in the boonies on the side of a ridge in TN and she couldn’t receive even enough signal (at the time) for an internet air card much less have DSL cables run out that far. So in her truck she sat, with the laptop, in a hotel parking lot.
OMGah, I can’t believe I just put that out there! Yes, that was me. And yes, my initial website and blog, my emails, and any research via internet were done illegally, I guess. Well… maybe not all of it. I did spend lots of time on the net at Panera Bread too! lol. I searched out local photographers and the group affiliated with PPA and made some phone calls to the pros in the area. I sounded like a big dum–dum on the phone because I couldn’t even explain what equipment I used, but yet, I was so confident that I could be a photographer.
Ahhh…then the year 2009 rolled around. I had been having a ball. Starting and managing my little TN business. Learning the ropes of being an entrepreneur (and all the money it takes. ugh). Then… said 28 year old and her husband surprisingly find out they are going to have a baby! Say WHAT!?!? Oh… and to add to that, 6 months after he is born, they are moving back to SC! Everyone knows moving is HARD on a biz! But here again, after much prayer and the little fact that we wanted our child to be near his grandparents, and again, my husband’s career being tops in our relationship, we made the move back to SC in 2009 for that advancement opportunity that came a little earlier than we had expected when we moved to TN. And the move brought the weddings! In TN, most of the friends I made were already married, so I was sort of becoming a family/ pet photographer. It seemed a lot of my college friends here in SC were getting married about the point we moved back. So I landed my first couple of weddings as main photographer and FELL. IN. LOVE all over again! (I had second shot several weddings with my father-in-law (hobbyist photog) before the move to TN had ever happened thank the good Lord above! Whew.)
It’s been a slow process for me, and still is, as I’m torn every day between photographer and stay-at-home mommy. We are fortunate that my husband’s job supports me being able to stay home, but it’s TIGHT, let me tell ya. Whew. And yes, it is what we choose for our lives, I understand that. I grew up with my mother being home with us, and I couldn’t imagine a different life for my own child or any future children we have. Plus, there are so many memories I want to make and capture with my child. However, I want to contribute financially too; my little business helps out where it can. You know, instead of using the money earned and saved from the business, to buy the nice 85mm f1.4 lens that I DROOOOOL over, it is enough money to purchase new tires for my vehicle or pay a little on my student loan, or pay the internet bill since technically it IS for my business mostly. Sometimes I have a hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and want to give up. In fact, I have quit photography several times mostly due to the struggles I’ve encountered trying to balance life as a work-from-home-mom; mom trumping photographer. But I always go back to photography (the next day! After I’ve cried my eyes out and sat in my closet eating Dove dark chocolates for a while. LOL) and suck it up and tell myself I can do this! I LOVE IT. It consumes me!!! When I’m out and about I’m looking for possible shoot locations and am not afraid to stop and ask for permission; when I watch movies, I analyze the lighting and the composition of the subject to the frame of the scene; I’m a dork, I know. So you see, it WON’T go away no matter if I want it to (which I don’t)!
I just have to be submissive to this patience God is teaching me. Cherish these moments with my boy while he’s here with me, but be READY to hit the road running when I have big blocks of time again to work normal hours. I don’t think 10pm to 1am or even 2am is normal, do you?
Ok. So I feel as if I’m babbling. Why are you babbling about yourself Charlotte? Well… glad you asked! I’ve been following a certain wedding photographer’s blog, facebook, twitter, pinterest, and well just her every move (Katelyn, I don’t mean to scare you in any way! LOL) in all efforts of improving my own photography– posing, background choices, lighting situations etc. And here’s the deal– Katelyn James is the lady I’m referring to here. It is once again time for her wedding photography workshop, The Workshop Experience, and guess what!?!? One lucky photographer will have the $750 tuition waived for a seat to the workshop by sharing their journey into the wonderful profession of photography!
She asked us who enter to state why we would like to come to her workshop, and how it could help us and our business if we were to win. Well… to be blunt… it would financially be a blessing for me! Point blank. I do consider myself an artist, and while I’m not physically starving, I am starving mentally. I crave education. I strongly believe if you don’t use it, you lose it. And this is a great place in my career as a wedding photographer for some professional development and education since I’m at a place where I am experiencing a lag in business for whatever reasons. While I might could drop my pricing or whatever, technically I can’t at the same time. I’ve determined a level for my business model to be able to handle responsibilities as a mother and photographer at home. I understand the financial responsibilities of a small business owner. And I understand my pricing enough to run my business without going too far into debt with it. Plus, I cherish my work as ART and I want to continue growing as an artist to set myself apart from competition. Katelyn, it would mean SO much to me to be able to attend your workshop! You are a gal after my own heart, young, and successfully running a wedding photography business! I have so many business questions I would love to pick your brain about, as well as technique questions. And just seeing you in action would be a learning experience too as I’m very much a visual learner!
While that is my story of where I am now, I also want to share where I want to be! I forsee myself eating up all the education I can and when it’s time for my son to start school in about 2.5 more years *tears* I can really put myself out there!!! I can really hit the marketing HARD. I can continue to make couples cry and rejoice that they hired Charlotte Ashley Photography for years to come when they share the memories of their wedding day (and thus their married life) with their loved ones– grand children, great-grands, and so forth and so-on. Make a difference in this world like I felt I did as a teacher. Preserve memories for people that bring happiness to their lives!
So… with all that said, one of these days, I know I’ll have an office that doesn’t serve as a kitchen too; or a packaging area that doesn’t house my Tupperware when we settle things in TN with our house that is yes, still in our possession after 2 years. Patience is the great virtue I’m learning at this stage in my career. And so, while I go take my 2.5 year old to ‘bonk’ (aka urinate) for the 20th time while I’ve tried to write this post and find yet another snack for him LOL; Katelyn, know that I would be honored if you picked me to join you and the others in VA for The Workshop Experience!
And for a visual as to how far I’ve come… click here to view one of my first weddings second shooting and click here to view my last wedding of 2011.
Thanks to all of you who made it through this journey with me; I’m forever indebted to those who support me so! Love y’all!