Where have I been?

(Above: photos I've taken for Stonewall Kitchen as their new photographer, linked from their website)

I've been missing from my blog. I know, I know - terrible! The last two weeks I've been adjusting to my fantastic new job at Stonewall kitchen. I am now their staff photographer - and loving it! What do I do there? I shoot food and products for their catalogs, website, recipe cards... whatever they need!

GASP! What does this mean for my wedding business?
I love shooting weddings, but since my husband works 9-5 it will be much nicer to shoot fewer weddings, work a 9-5 myself, and see him more. I do still plan on keeping my wedding & portrait business - don't worry! There are only a few things that will change. One is my weekday availability - I will only be available after 6PM weekdays (like most of my clients). From now on I'll be taking fewer wedding & portrait jobs. The good news is that means I can be sure to work with people who are looking specifically for my style and seek out superior client relationships. I'll also be hiring a company to do my image processing (editing out the best raw files & adjusting them for the best color) and album design. I tested them out recently on a friend's wedding and I think it's going to work out well. In fact, they might even be better editors/designers than I am! It just shows you should stick to what you do well. I want to focus on shooting photos and outsource the rest!

The other change you may notice is that at first glance my prices seem to have increased. This is only partially true. I have raised my prices a little - most photographers go up a bit every year. However, I have also raised my minimum to 5 hours (up from 4) and done away with my inexpensive albums (coffee table books) and will now only be offering high end flush-mount books. Why? In coffee table book the color is not as good and they are not as durable. Both types of albums take me the same amount of time, yet there is less profit in the inexpensive albums. So, with many companies like blurb offering do-it-yourself coffee table books I know my clients can still make their own if they opt to purchase digital negatives. I hope this explanation of my business changes makes sense. If you have any questions just let me know. :)