Where did I go?

So I started off 2025 by announcing on my Instagram account that I would be stepping back from social media and using that year to refocus on my photography, writing, and cultivating my website.

And I’ll be honest, I only kind of did those things. I wrote three blog posts for that entire year, but stepped away from actively pursuing photography, and thought about what the hell I was doing with my life. C’est la vie, right?

For the last almost two years (20 months if we really wanna be precise), I didn’t push myself to do anything photography related. I picked up my camera when I wanted to - occasionally snapping pics of my kids, fall, and the botanic garden we frequent. I did do some shoots for friends, but that was about it.

In my real life, I enjoyed my village, did lots of girls’ nights, bought a house with my husband, visited family, and explored life here in New England. When we moved to Massachusetts in 2023, we’d hardly been here a month when I found out I was expecting baby number two. We knew basically no one, started living in a region we’d never even visited before, and my husband was starting a new job.

It felt overwhelming and exciting and exhausting.

In Idaho, my photography business was established and I had the opportunity to consistently shoot in a community I’d lived in for years. Then we moved to South Carolina, where I thankfully still knew lots of old friends and kept on offering my services.

Finally, we made it to Massachusetts, and trying to restart my business from scratch while managing a move, pregnancy, and a whole new life, just sounded miserable, simply put.

New England is full of amazing landscapes, people, and photographers. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been doing this for over ten years now, my competitive spirit isn’t quite what it used to be. Obviously clients don’t come on silver platters, but the grind of it all just didn’t appeal to me in that time. I had babies to snuggle for goodness sake!

Women can do it all, but I didn’t feel like doing it all.

Now almost two years later, I’ve got a kid starting kinder in a month, a nearly two-year-old, and I actually feel settled in. My city feels like home, my friends have become a pillar in my life, and I feel like I’m ready to pick up the camera again.

I got to do a senior shoot with my cousin Olive last week, and I had so much fun tromping through the woods, sweating our asses off, and just generally having a blast taking beautiful photos. It really reminded me how much fun photography can be when I do it for the right reasons, which is why I stepped back in the first place. So in the end, mission accomplished, even if I didn’t write a million blog posts or totally reshape my website.

Looking back, I started photography at 16 years old because I had fun with my friends and loved the memories that came on those SD cards. Photography since then has brought me friends and experiences that are irreplaceable, which is what I’ve always wanted to give to others - a way to visually remember those once-in-a-lifetime moments.

To be honest, I don’t think I’m going to jump back in, two feet first, because that just isn’t the life I live anymore, but I definitely will be letting the joy of it fuel my journey now, something I had lost along the way.

I hope you’ll continue to follow along with me as I rediscover the passion I love in a way that feels more genuine.