I recently photographed a Sterling Heights extended family session. I took on no outdoor sessions this year, deciding to focus on studio work. They had booked last year when I was still waffling back and forth on my decision.
It was a tough choice. My business was built on family sessions for many years. There is always an October rush of people wanting sessions, and honestly it was good money. But as my kids are getting older, I find myself wanting to spend more time with them. The girls only have a couple years of high school left, and then they’re off onto their adult life.
I did pick up a couple family sessions for my own family, but for the most part I said goodbye to them all together. And while I thought I’d really miss them, it wasn’t as sad as I expected. I love seeing families every year, as the kids grow, its so nice to re-connect with clients. But the weather this year was pretty miserable. And I didn’t miss the stress of constant reschedules.
With the kids after school activities, I found myself with very little free time. The perk was that I didn’t have to choose between my clients and my kids. In the past, I’ve scheduled my family sessions out a few months, but I never knew what was going on with the kids schedules. So I missed events, competitions, games and just family time in general. But I hated rescheduling on clients for personal things. I really loved being present for each event my kids had. I wasn’t up late at night editing a backlog of sessions, tired all day.
When I stepped back and looked at the business I built, I realized I had missed a lot trying to be successful. So it feels like this is the right choice for me, at least for the next couple years. I might toss a few here or there in, but they will be highly limited and not scheduled until the last minute when I know kids schedules.
Anyways, back to the Caron family. I first met them when they brought Oliver in for his cake smash. I enjoyed them so much, and getting to meet their extended family was great. We walked around Dodge Park capturing their incredible relationships with each other. Grandma is such a loving person, she clearly loves her two sons. And with that comes a strong love for her daughter in laws, and her grandson. She just constantly told me how much she loved her family. It was clear she was a devoted mom and wife. This was actually a gift for her given by her kids. So it was a special moment for her to have those updated images to hang on her walls.
I hope you enjoyed this Sterling Heights extended family session. Maybe one day I’ll meet your family at a session too!
