"The Step Back"

I don't know how to begin this post other than to be blunt: I shut down my photography website. I shut it down, it's gone, and while I did some boo-hooing, I know it's for the best.

You see, I need to take a step back from this industry. I'm a mother and wife with a full time job (aside from my family!) who is also trying to be active in my church, (somewhat) maintain a social life, and buy my very first house. I moved to San Antonio only about a year ago, and in that year my business has not been able to bounce back the way it did after my last move. I found myself falling out of love with photography, becoming frustrated, and not wanting to go near it, and that's the last thing I want. Creating is my passion, taking pictures is all I want to do with my free time, but the added pressure is just not something I am willing to put myself under.

I will no longer rely on "gimmicks" and "deals" to bring people in and let me capture their moments. I will not let money define my passion, or destroy it. So I'm taking a break. A long break. I'm going to reinvent, rename, revamp, renew. Lay out what I want and do not want to do (both personally and on the photography side of life) and stand by it. I'm going to figure myself out, balance my life, focus on my growing family, further my career, tune out everyone who says "I told you so" and come back later. I'm not ashamed to say I need to stop and start from the beginning, because this isn't working for me anymore.

This is not goodbye, this is see you later. I'm still going to be working, I'm still going to be shooting, I'm just not going to go looking for work or money. I'm still going to be posting and honing my skills, just not as a source of income or a career. This is going to be about fun again, and I'm so excited! I'm tapping out, but when I get back in the ring I will be a killer businesswoman and a force to be reckoned with. Stay tuned, big things will happen. :)

In the words of the late Johnny Carson, "I bid you all a heartfelt goodnight."