As the mom of three small kids, I've come to realize that the title of this blog post is more than truth- it's one of the meanings of life. Change is hard for people, myself included. The unknown can be scary, letting go of things we like and love can stress us out. But change is necessary. Necessary for growth, for love, and to be able to be open to the blessings that life has for us.
With all that spiritual life lesson stuff out of the way, I have a small announcement. There are going to be some minor changes around here starting in 2011. I say minor, because they are. They're nothing earth-shattering, but I thought my clients deserve a heads-up rather than a New Year surprise.
These changes are really all about taking control of this business that has grown by leaps and bounds this year. I couldn't have anticipated the amount of work I've been blessed with, nor could I have expected to meet such incredible people and families. Because I value my clients so much, I need to be able to streamline my business to better meet their needs- more efficiently and more specifically. So each of these changes is about becoming more efficient, more available, and more professional for those who love my work and who continue on this journey with me.
So here they are- the policy changes that will be effective starting January 1, 2011.
1. Other than a few family friends and those who have already booked me, I will no longer be shooting weddings or events (NOT including dance events- those will remain). I WILL continue to offer engagement photos, couple photos, and bridal portraits. It's just not my passion. I've realized that my absolute best work is portraits, and it's just too painful for me to do my best at an event, hand over perfectly good images, but know that it's not my best work. Weddings and events carry with them a huge amount of time pressure, stressed people, and things that are WAY beyond my control. I hate feeling like I missed an image of something, a candid opportunity, or anything else that occurs organically at events. I know, I know- it's the inner control freak in me, but I want to be able to be in control (to a degree) of the images I produce. And at weddings, I just can't control so many things. My photographer friends have tried to encourage me to keep shooting them, because of the financial opportunity, but I'll be honest- that's not why I do this. And I am not going to take a large amount of money from a couple, who will ultimately be perfectly satisfied with my work, when I know that it's not my best, and there are other people out there whose passion is wedding photography. If you need a wedding photographer, I know some INCREDIBLE ones (and my standards are high!), so don't hesitate to ask for a referral.
2. The cds. Sessions will now include only web-ready cds, and high resolution print-ready cds will be available for purchase. This one might be hard for you guys. And I get it. So I'll do my best to explain it as much as possible. I spend alot of time editing my portrait images. They are edited with a final product in mind. I want you to be able to display them in a way that we are both proud of. And I've seen some folks get WalMart prints of images that took me hours to create, and they looked awful. Really awful. The same print through my professional lab on professional paper for less than $10 was absolutely beautiful. And it broke my heart to see something I cared about and spent time on look so cheap and worthless. I keep my print prices low for a reason- I want you to take advantage of them and have prints that you are proud to show to people you love. I also want you to be able to share your images online through social media and emails to family- I absolutely understand how important that is. So that's why I'm going to include a web-ready cd with every session. These images will not be suitable for printing. But they will look great online. And they're meant to be shared. If you really, REALLY want to get your own prints somewhere, you can purchase the high-reoslution images on cd separately, which will come with a print-release from Intuitive Images. And if you decide to get your own prints, I hope you have a quick conversation with me about how to get your prints looking their best. I'm more than happy to talk to you about it. So just ask- I want you to be happy, not disappointed! And I can take no responsibility for the print quality of places like WalMart or Target.
3. The number of final edited images you receive will be limited. This one is tough for me. I do this because I love it. I love meeting you guys, spending time with you, taking your photos, and I love editing them. But I can't edit every one. I just can't. And to be honest, not every one deserves to be edited. Especially when photographing kids, who move at the speed of light, I take way more photos than the ones that deserve to be on your wall. Until now, I've been editing and including every photo I love, even if it means 90 images from one session. I've been doing that because I LOVE WHAT I DO! But it's time consuming, and it's just not realistic. You're not going to put 90 photos in an album. But if I give you 10 AMAZING images, you can do a million things with them. That's my intent- to give you only photos that you can't live without.
4. As of right now, my prices won't change. Self-explanatory. There's no need to raise prices just because.
5. There will be a monthly special. Sometimes for families, sometimes for couples, sometimes for newborns, and sometimes for my boudoir line, Intuitive Images {Intimates}. Be a fan on Facebook, and you'll get first notice. :)
Well, that's it for now. I hope you are excited as I am for this holiday season, and for the opportunities that next year will undoubtedly bring. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a fan of my work, a client, a friend, and part of my world.
xoxo-
Stephanie.
