So, I don't usually write blogs about my personal life...& I've never been much of a writer anyway, but some people find it therapeutic to write out their thoughts, so I thought I'd give it a try...
With it being a new year & all, & being a combination of sick/down in the dumps all weekend, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life, professionally & personally...I've been quite unsatisfied for some time & I just don't feel like I'm doing what I should be doing...Maybe I'm just getting burnt-out, but I feel like I need to take a break & step back from "professional" photography for a while...
Photography has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember...I didn't exactly choose this profession, it kind of chose me...2010 will be my 9th year doing wedding photography & I've probably been doing family, kids, seniors, etc. for at least 12...I always knew I wanted to be an Artist, to be creative...Other than that, the only other thing I ever wanted to be was a Mommy...Taking pictures for a living has allowed me to work from home & keep my almost 22-month old baby girl, Paven, home with me...Sounds great, but balancing work & housework & spending enough time with Paven has been difficult to say the least...I find myself putting Paven off a lot to do my work, which consists of hours & hours in front of the computer editing pictures...I end up lots of times just having to wait until Paven goes to bed to sit down & work, which results in me being up 'til 2 or 3:00 in the morning, so I'm exhausted when Paven wakes me up first thing the next morning, then I'm grouchy...Not to mention, I barely ever get to go to bed at the same time as my husband, then he's grouchy...It's a vicious cycle that I'm quite frankly getting sick of!
7 years ago this week, I closed down my shop, "The Cherry Tree"...I was so happy when I had that store...I absolutely loved it...I was only open for 8 months when I had to close my doors...I was actually doing really well...until I got my first heat bill...whoa...Plus, I was getting busier & busier with photography, & I'm only one person, so I had to choose...Running 2 businesses all by myself (& making them successful) = impossible...So here I am again, 7 years later, trying to decide which path to take...
My passion is art in all forms...While I'm able to be creative taking pictures of people for a living & I do love to see how happy my photography makes some people, it's still a lot of pressure, trying to please people all the time & give them what they want...I don't always feel like I can be myself, like I can when I'm creating art just for me...I've been trying for some time now to sell my photography as art, greeting cards, calendars, etc. & I've made some sales, which gives me such an icredible feeling! I would love to pursue this more...I need to take more time to create & be with my family, without all the pressure & deadlines...This may mean a big cut in my income, but it would be worth it to be the kind of wife & mother I need to be...plus, I would love to have more babies :)
If I could do anything in the world, it would be to sell my photography & to have my shop again...I'm hoping that someday, my art will start paying for itself & I will be able to open a gallery/shop for myself & other struggling local artists to sell their work...Until then, I need to build my portfolio, keep getting my work out there, & be there more for my family & friends...I was 23 years old when I opened my shop & I wasn't scared at all...I had so much confidence...I don't look at closing it as a failure at all, but an amazing learning experience...I'm 30 years old now, & I'm realizing that the older you get & the more responsibilities that you have, the harder it is to take chances & to do what makes you happy, but I'm ready for a change & I think moving on is what I need to do...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Moving On...
Posted by Hilary at 3:40 PM 2 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Jim & Amanda: The Wedding ♥
The sweetest, most adorable couple, Jim & Amanda, were married on December 12th in Marshall, IL...It was a gorgeous, romantic, winter wedding & these are just a very small preview of what's to come...Wishing you a wonderful new year & a beautiful life with your new family in Texas! :)











Posted by Hilary at 11:37 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Cooper Family
A sneak peek for my dear friend, Amy...I had a wonderful afternoon with Amy, Paul, & sweet Abigail (almost 4) last week...Amy is expecting daughter #2 in a few months & she looks wonderful...So happy for you guys & so glad I finally got to take your family pictures! :)









Posted by Hilary at 12:42 AM 1 comments Links to this post
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tyler & Lila
We just returned last week from a long road trip to Florida for my husband's sweet cousin Lila's wedding...She & Tyler were married on November 7, a beautiful day in Palm Bay...I am so glad I was able to shoot their wedding for them...It was a wonderful trip, visiting family & friends, going to the beach, Sea World, Disney World...Exhausting, but fun :) Here are just a few of Tyler, Lila, & their totally fun wedding party...










Posted by Hilary at 11:56 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Monday, November 2, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Christmas Cards
If anyone is interested in ordering photo cards from an event, you can check out design options here :) There is a minimum order of 25 & they are available in the following sizes:
4X7: $1.25
5X7: $1.50
Please email me if you would like to order some for the holidays! :)

Posted by Hilary at 12:02 AM 0 comments Links to this post


















