When I started my photography business back in 2008, I had NO idea what I was getting myself in to. I started off doing photos for friends and then it just sort of snow-ball’d from there. Next I was doing weddings, next I was getting a studio, next I was doing newborns. I never really got a chance to stop & think. I was already working full-time as a designer and over the course of the first few years of my business I was working constantly (ok, maybe it was the first FOUR years of my business. I may have been a workaholic.). If I wasn’t at my full-time job, I was shooting, editing, or reading tons of photography blogs trying to learn. I felt like I was always rushing around and my brain was bouncing from one thing to the next to the next. Talk about heading down the road to burnout FAST! After having our daughter in July 2012, I knew the days of working 80+ hours a week were over. I would kill myself trying to do it all, so last year was the first year that I was really able to slow down a bit to focus on my business. It’s been a very looooooong journey to get here, but alas here I am!

I want to continue to learn and grow to make sure I’m providing the best possible photo experience I can for my clients. That is why I have been investing in a ton of workshops to continue my growth. Ever since I returned home from my business workshop out in Arizona in January (MJ2Day – which you can read about here & here), I’ve been feeling inspired. rejuvenated. motivated to make some changes. You see, in the beginning I didn’t know what I wanted to take photos of. I just knew that I wanted to take photos, so I took on anything & everything that I could. This workshop made me realize that if I’m spending 80% of my time on business related things, taking on anything & everything just isn’t realistic anymore. After giving it a TON of thought, I have decided that I will be focusing my business on only a few areas of photography. I will now be specializing in weddings, newborns, & seniors. I’m really excited about this! I’m excited to finally know where I’m going and to fine tune my skills in these areas. The goal is to become a boutique style photographer, specializing in a few specific areas with a limited number of clients to provide a more personal experience. I love watching my couples grow from being a couple to being parents. Sharing in some of their happiest moments in there lives and being able to capture those memories for them is beyond amazing! That is why I do what I do. Plus, I get to meet some really great people and form friendships with them, which is pretty awesome.

So with that comes another BIG change. I am thrilled to be working with Haley from StudioWilde and am in the process of rebranding! This means a new logo, website and look for alisonmarie photography! AAAAHHH!!! I feel like my business is being “re-born” this year! 🙂 I can’t wait to see Hayley’s ideas and launch the new brand!! alisonmarie photography has needed a “facelift” for quite some time now and I am SUPER excited to be able to cross off this goal! More details on this later.

Lastly, I will be restructuring my packages. Currently my sessions are set up a la carte. Which means that session fees, digital files, & prints are all sold separately; letting clients create a package that works best for them. Problem is, digital files don’t do any good sitting on a CD in your drawer. So my new pricing structure will have all-inclusive packages. All sessions will include the digital files along with product. I want you to display your images on your wall and in albums. I want you to have family heirlooms to be able to pass down to your children & family. I think we forget this sometimes in a digital world, and to me, it’s very very important to have these keepsakes.

So yep. That’s it in a nutshell! I’m re-branding, going to be specializing in weddings, newborns, & seniors AND restructuring my packages! the full overhaul!!! GAH!! I’m excited to just put it out there for all to know! 🙂

I’ll keep everyone informed as I move through these changes and will be posting further information on my blog. I’ll also still be offering special mini sessions to families and children throughout the year, but families and children (older than 1yr) will be limited to mini sessions ONLY starting at the beginning of April. If you are interested in booking a family session, please be sure to contact me BEFORE April 1st, 2014 to set up your session!

and what better way to end a post than with a photo of my crazy peanut! Have a good weekend all! Be sure to check back for updates!