This pretty much sums up my last month and a half. Whew! :) Thanks for bearing with me as the blog was quieter than normal. When one decides to schedule half of her yearly work into a matter of weeks and move, things tend to go a lil’ bananas, but it sure makes for a memory-filled Spring! :)

I predict the rest of May will be spent reading by the pool with my husband (ah, the perks of living in an apartment again), photographing things that inspire my heart, sharing conversations with dear friends and family, and taking a trip to NYC with friends–I am SO excited! I’ve never been before, and so I bought a pair of neon yellow heels for the occasion. I mean, it’s New York. I think I read somewhere that neon heels are required. :)

I’ve been obsessing over this quote recently. What else can I say? My mind could bend around this thought all day, and I would still want to think on it more.

More to come!

I thought you might like to see a few photos from our new place. Do you want to know my favorite thing about it? It’s TINY! Aaron and I decided to downsize and slash our square footage in half. We’re now sitting pretty in a one bedroom / one bathroom apartment. NO. MORE. CLUTTER. Can I get an amen?! :)

Top row: Our coffee table and rug from West Elm outlet. Probably my two favorite things in the apartment // Our simple entryway complete with ikea hooks so I can always find my purse in an instant // The exterior of our swanky lil’ place. All modern and cool. I know, right?!

Middle row: Steve-Z is totally at home here and BONUS! he matches the decor // Meet our Impala. Aaron picked him out. What can I say? My husband has brilliant taste. // This is our dresser in our bedroom, topped off with wedding photos, peonies, and my veil.

Bottom row: The bathroom feels more luxurious with a little spot to set books and lotion // Our coffee nook. How amazing is that tiny little window!? // Our apartment is mostly creams and neutral tones, but we brought in lots of patterns to shake things up a bit.

They found the most amazing abandoned chapel in the middle of West Texas, so we trekked out there one windy morning. SO worth it, don’t you think?! :)

Mamiya 645 + Fuji 400H film

This photo on the left is still one of my favorite photos ever. It was taken last October at a sweet wedding I photographed in Dallas. When I look at this image, I just think of all the times this dad has been proud of his daughter. I don’t even know this family well, but I can imagine he had this same look on his face when she graduated from kindergarten, when she was in a school play, when she won her first award, when she dressed up for prom, when she came home to visit from college…and now, when she’s about to get married. It makes my heart so happy. I love taking photos like this one.

If you’re getting married soon, I just want to encourage you to specifically invite your closest loved ones to be with you when you’re getting ready for your wedding. And encourage them to get totally ready beforehand, because most people like photos of themselves more when they look their best. That’s how you get a photo like this. It could be your mom, dad, a special relative, or simply your closest friends, but I love the idea of intentionally making them feel special by sharing those moments with them. I’ve even known brides who created special invitations, making the getting ready portion of their wedding day even more of an event.

So, even though your mom wants run off to help set up the reception details, make sure she’s around when you’re getting ready and putting on your dress. You’ll never regret it. I want to give you photos just as sweet and sacred as this one. Instead, let your planner take care of the details, and savor your day with those most important to you. :)

Happy Friday friends! I hope you’re getting ready for a wonderful Spring weekend. As for us (Aaron + myself + our dog Steve-Z), we’ll be headed to my home town for a weekend of relaxing with the family. I can’t wait to see all my nephews and catch up with my parents!

I wanted to leave you with this verse for the weekend. I have it set as the background on my phone, and it is such a game changer. No matter what we’re facing–frustrating things, scary things, overwhelming things, unknown things, intimidating things–this verse invites us to a place of peace. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. It’s a sweet truth that brings stillness in the storm.

See you Monday! XOXO

However, the question at hand is, how? How will I make this transition smart, smooth, and sensible for my business and my clients?  I feel like there are a handful of photographers who are also asking this question–ready to switch, but aren’t sure how to go about changing things up so drastically. Resources for starting a photography business are readily available–but there’s not much on the topic of transitioning an already established business. I also feel like it’s important to share this journey with my current and future clients.

Today, I want to share my switch-to-film process, how it’s going, and where I am in the process.

Step 1: EXPLORE // For me, this happened last summer. I got my hands on a medium format film camera (specifically, a Mamiya 645) and I quietly began trying film, reading about film, and comparing film to digital. The point of this step was to see if I even liked working with film. If it wasn’t fun or fulfilling to me, I knew I’d just stick with digital. However, I fell in love with film! Bring on step 2.

Step 2: ANALYZE THE COST // Late last year, I began working out the cost of shooting and developing film for weddings. Honestly? It was an overwhelming number. Film is expensive, y’all. I realized it was time to get real about how film fits into my business. From this information, I decided that it’s best if I take a blended approach, 3/4 film +  1/4 digital. This brought the cost to a realistic place, and from there, I drew up a new business budget and new pricing. Since weddings are usually booked 6-12 months in advance, it was vital that I have this pricing guide ready to send as those 2014 inquiries start coming in.

Step 3: PRACTICE WITH FILM // This is where I’ve been since January (although steps 3-5 are pretty much all happening at the same time). I’m currently dedicating time to learning, reading, practicing, and honing my technique. There’s so much to explore! Lighting situations, different films, different cameras, etc. I’ve decided to spend about a year on this step, so that I can have a super strong foundation underneath me. I’m photographing lots of wedding styled shoots, personal work, and friends–and having so much fun doing it! SUPER IMPORTANT: A client’s session or wedding is NOT the time to experiment. However, this brings us to step 4…

Step 4: SHARE THE EXPERIENCE WITH CLIENTS // This may seem to contradict my last sentence, but I love bringing my clients into my creative process as much as possible, and sharing that excitement with them. Once I got basic film technique down, I started asking permission to shoot just a roll or two of film throughout their session. I started doing this at the end of last month, and it’s been so fun! Of course, I’m treating the film images as bonus photos–not the main product. And while I’m incorporating a little bit of film into their experience, my clients can still feel secure, knowing that they’ll get the digital service they booked me for. No way would I just spring something new on them after a contract was signed.

Step 5: CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THE SWITCH // As I mentioned before, I wouldn’t even dream of switching things up on a client who has already signed a contract. That’s just not right. So, it’s really important that future inquiries know what to expect from me–without a shadow of a doubt. I’ve simplified it down to this: 2013 = digital, 2014 = film. I’ve made sure there’s a clear line defining when digital ends and film begins, and I’m communicating it clearly, based on the date of each wedding inquiry. So now you know what to expect too, here on the blog! I’ll be posting more film images as the year goes on, but for the most part, the images you’ll see on the blog will be digital until 2014. :)

I hope this glimpse into my process has helped answer some questions you may have had. I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to start discussing in the comments section. Thanks for coming on this journey with me! :)