Seniors Seniors Seniors!!!  The class of 2017 has blown me away!

I want to take a moment and encourage those of you who read my blog who are in a place where you have tried something and it just doesn’t seem to work.  You tried it maybe 3 or 4 times and then you think….I’m just going to give up!  Well I’m here to tell you DONT!!!

So when we moved to Burlington about 8 years ago, I really wanted to make Senior photography (seniors as in High School not those past 70 years old) a part of what I focused on.  I would try to develop a senior rep plan and offer to do senior sessions at a discount just to get my name out there.  Crickets!  I would book a handful, but not what I wanted.  My heart still was in photographing seniors as I love capturing milestones in families lives.   I love when the students are just blown away from how awesome they look.  I love being able to encourage them and breathe into them that they can do anything that they set their mind to, and share the example of my business and the paths I took.  That I didn’t have it all laid out when I went to college, but that God used everything to order my steps.  All these reasons and more, were why I wanted to photograph High School Seniors, but again, it was like putting a square peg in a round hole.  I kept questioning why, when I was successful in all other areas why wasn’t I able to break into this part of the market?  I finally just kind of put in to rest in my mind and focused on the other thriving areas on my business.

Then fall of 2016 rolled around and WOW!  I was slammed with seniors.  I was truly overbooked.  I was blessed, but also just in awe, found myself asking “how did this happen?”  It wasn’t like it was all one group of friends, or all from one school.  We (Katy my make up artist) and I just plugged along and when it was all said in done, my fall, which is usually filled with families, this year was filled with seniors!  It was awesome!  Guess what?  our spring is full of senior sessions and I’m even booking class of 2018 seniors for this fall!  Whoa!

I’ve had some time to sit and think about this…why?  And what did I do differently?  The answer…wait for it….NOTHING!  I didn’t create any big marketing plan and I didn’t change anything.  It just happened.  So why am I sharing this, because sometimes things happen when that have nothing to do with us.  We can work and work and work at something and get no where, but years later, seasons later, bamm! it happens.  The point?  To never give up!  To realize that sometimes all our trying and stirring and stressing (all that I have done) won’t matter, that things happen at the right time for us.

For me, looking back, why this year?  I have several thoughts, one is that God knew that I needed a simpler fall…after my crazy beach season.  Seniors for me are so easy and fun and I’m able to turn them around really quickly.   I also think that with our teen shoots that we do, that those have helped get the word out about Katy and I, and what a fun and awesome experience it is.  Finally, I think the senior market in my town has changed, and my style of photography fits really well with the changes.  Relaxed, custom and fun!

So I want to encourage you, that if there is something in your life that you have been trying and trying to make work, whether it be in business or in your personal life, just be patient and maybe that door will open for you!  Hang in there.  I always feel that I want to be where I’m suppose to be at the time I’m suppose to be!  Nothing different!

We had the amazing opportunity to work with this beauty for her senior pictures!  OH MY….I loved every single one of her images…she just shinned!  I adored her sense of style, her ease in front of the camera and how excited she was through out the process.  So excited to share these!  I’m so excited for you M and your plans for next year!

First, I love that her mom popped in a few!  You can see where her beauty comes from!