Reflecting on the Year
The end of the year always brings reflection. As I look back on 2025, I am truly amazed by the growth I have experienced as a mother, a wife, a photographer, and a business owner.
I officially started my photography business in September of 2024, but 2025 was my first full year fully stepping into this role. It was the year I stopped introducing myself as only a stay-at-home mom and began confidently saying, I own a photography business. I am a photographer. Owning that statement required confidence, and confidence required work.
To truly stand behind what I called myself, I committed to learning everything I possibly could in one year. And I learned a lot.
I am still a stay-at-home mom, and I am proud of that. At the same time, I built a business that allows flexibility in my schedule and meaningful time with my children. My youngest daughter was born in February of this year, and I navigated raising a newborn while growing a business. At one point, I had two children under the age of two and a third “baby” in the form of this business I was building.
I poured my heart and soul into 2025. There were moments of overwhelm, exhaustion, and self-doubt, but there were also moments of clarity. Times when I made big decisions, discovered who I am, and defined what I want. Those moments shaped the direction of my business and led me to intentionally decide what I want 2026 to look like, what I will refine, and what I will continue to build.
From Experience to True Professionalism
I have been doing photography for a long time, but only recently have I truly considered myself a professional photographer. For years, when someone introduced me as a professional, I would quickly respond with, “Oh no, not a professional.” That hesitation came from a lack of confidence. I knew there were things professionals understood that I had not yet fully mastered. And while there is always more to learn at any level, I knew I was still building my foundation.
I picked up my first professional camera in 2018 while photographing wildlife and nature. At that stage, photography was about capturing what I thought was beautiful. I learned how to photograph a subject, upload images, make creative edits on my phone, and move on. When friends and family later asked me to take their photos, I approached those sessions the same way. I focused on my subject and hoped for the best. I learned how to use Lightroom and apply basic edits, but the truth is my images often needed far more than simple adjustments.
Looking back, I can admit that I relied heavily on post-processing to correct lighting, composition, and color. I carried a lot of extra stress into sessions, hoping my images would turn out the way I envisioned them. My photos were not bad, and my clients were always happy, but by my standards now, they were not where I wanted them to be.
What changed everything was learning how to address those things before ever pressing the shutter. Instead of correcting lighting in editing, I learned how to find and use light intentionally. Instead of cropping heavily to fix composition, I learned how to compose thoughtfully in camera. Instead of relying on strong presets to correct color, I learned how to create consistency from the start. That shift removed the guesswork, reduced stress during sessions, and allowed my confidence to grow naturally behind the camera.
Education, Mindset, and Skill Development
At the beginning of 2025, I was actively gaining experience as a professional photographer. I was booking more clients, photographing more sessions, and becoming confident in meeting new people, posing them comfortably, and providing a thoughtful client experience. I spent much of the first half of the year strengthening the business side of my work by refining my workflow, implementing contracts, invoices, and questionnaires, and improving how I delivered galleries so that every step felt professional and intentional.
I also focused on marketing and visibility. I worked on growing my social media presence, creating content, sharing my work, passing out business cards, and refining my website. I redesigned it multiple times until it finally felt cohesive and reflective of my brand. Throughout the year, I listened to podcasts consistently, always looking for ways to improve both personally and professionally.
During this time, I discovered photographer Nicole Hill and her business, Horizon Found. I began listening to The Photographer’s Podcast and quickly worked through every episode. Her perspective helped me shift from only improving my business systems to also improving my mindset as a photographer and as a person.
As I continued learning, I joined the waitlist for The Photographer’s Path. While waiting, I discovered Amy and Jordan Demos of Amy and Jordan Education. Their background as former elementary educators immediately resonated with me, and their teaching style clicked. I enrolled in their Shooting and Editing Course in August, where I gained a deeper understanding of light, composition, camera settings, focus, and technical control.
In October, The Photographer’s Path opened, and I enrolled. Nicole reinforced technical foundations while also emphasizing the importance of developing a personal style. By December, I had completed both courses, and the transformation in my work has been undeniable.
I am now a completely different photographer. Alongside my portrait work, I also gained valuable hands-on experience photographing weddings. Weddings challenged me to apply everything I had learned in fast-paced, high-pressure environments where moments cannot be recreated. I learned how to work within timelines, adapt quickly to changing light and locations, and collaborate with other vendors to ensure the day ran smoothly. Photographing weddings strengthened my confidence, sharpened my decision-making, and reinforced the importance of preparation, awareness, and storytelling in real time.
I intentionally find and use light, set my white balance in camera, create depth within my images, and achieve tack-sharp focus. Both courses pushed me to deeply understand how light works and to strive for consistency in my work. With a solid technical foundation in place, I can now focus on refining my style and expanding my creativity. Everything I learned this year is shaping the way I approach my work moving forward. This year taught me that my time, experience, and preparation carry real value, and my business is now structured to reflect that.
Running My Business With Intention
There has been significant growth this year, not just creatively but professionally. I went from unboxing my first mirrorless camera to fully understanding each setting and having complete control over the images I create. I moved from relying on auto modes and aperture priority to shooting fully manual and intentionally controlling my exposure. I shifted from deleting galleries after delivery to backing up every image across multiple secure storage systems. I expanded my editing workflow beyond Lightroom into Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. At every step, I became more serious about what I was building and more confident in how I showed up to my sessions.
That growth extended far beyond the camera. I invested intentionally in my business and treated it as exactly that, a business. I registered my LLC, insured my gear and services, obtained required permits for the locations I work in, and invested in software and subscriptions to manage scheduling, contracts, galleries, and my website. I built systems to support both professionalism and sustainability. With the right gear, structure, and foundation in place, my focus now is refining my skill behind the camera and consistently applying everything I’ve learned.
As part of this growth, I am continuing to refine the client experience. Photography is no longer just an hour on location. It is preparation, guidance, and intention from start to finish. Clients receive resources to help them prepare, arrive knowing what to expect, and experience sessions that are planned around light, location, posing, and styling. Moving into 2026, I am also refining how images are delivered. Clients will select their favorite images from a proof gallery, with the option to upgrade to full galleries if desired. I have also added a professional print shop connected directly to each online gallery, available to all clients, making it seamless to download images and order prints designed to be displayed in their homes. This structure allows for a more thoughtful experience and ensures that each investment reflects the education, systems, and care that go into every session. It allows me to show up fully for my clients and continue investing back into the quality of the work I deliver.
Looking Ahead to 2026
2026 will be another year of growth, but with a different pace and a clearer purpose. Now that I understand the foundations of my craft, my focus is on refinement. I want to move more intentionally, apply what I’ve learned with confidence, and continue strengthening the experience I provide to every client. This year is about depth, consistency, and creating work that feels fully aligned with who I am as a photographer.
I am deeply grateful for the people who supported my growth in 2025. This year showed me who believes in my vision and trusts the path I am building. The clients who return, recommend me to friends and family, and invite me back for new chapters of their lives have shaped my business in ways I never take lightly. What often begins as a session with strangers quickly turns into genuine connection, and that relationship is one of the most meaningful parts of this work.
Being invited into moments like proposals, weddings, growing families, and the early days of parenthood is an honor. To witness love deepen, families grow, and lives change reminds me why I chose this path in the first place.
I am also incredibly thankful to build this business while being present as a mother. I get to watch my children grow while pursuing a career that challenges me creatively and fulfills me deeply. I am grateful for a husband who supports this journey wholeheartedly, whether he is stepping in with the kids so I can focus on a session or edit quietly, or bringing them along and turning some sessions into family days at the park or the beach. Photography allows me to stay rooted in family, nature, and connection while giving those moments back to others in a lasting way.
It is a privilege to do this work, and I am committed to continuing to grow, protect, and honor it as both a photographer and a business owner.
