Hello there! This is my first attempt at blogging, so here goes. I think for my very first post, I'll just be real with y'all. Starting your very own business is hard! I got into photography a while ago, just as a hobby really. I wanted to capture just some of the beauty that is so prevalent here in St. Augustine. From the historical landmarks, to the beaches, to the wildlife, there is so much subject material here it's mind blowing. So my main "niche" if you will, was nature and landscape photography. I really love macro (or close-up) photography as well. Finding the smallest details in nature, or everyday life, and composing them in interesting ways is a passion of mine. But, "Fine Art Photography" is a very hard specialty to be in, given that not much is ever purchased from you. Unless you're a well-known photographer who has been published in magazines or websites, you don't really make much at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in this business for the money. But equipment is expensive!

Anyway, this leads me to why I started up a business and became licensed. I was starting to get a few requests for portrait sessions and figured I might as well go through the legal channels and do it right. No one wants that nasty letter from the state or Federal gov't saying you owe them unpaid taxes... So, I got licensed! Now, I'm trying to navigate through the quagmire that is learning something new. From pricing, to marketing, to website design, to blogging, to SEOs, to sales and income taxes, to editing... The list goes on and on (and my head is spinning). It's a huge huge learning curve and a lot to figure out all at one time. Which is why I'm taking this slowly. Thank goodness for Facebook groups for photographers like Photography Awesomesauce that helps people like me to figure this all out. (One day I'll learn if I can tag someone in a blog post). And thank goodness for Google! I don't know what people ever did before it. I'd spend all my free time doing research and reading books about business, but I have a family to take care of. I give major kudos to moms who have made their photography business successful and still managed to maintain family priorities. Someday I hope to be one of them. I hope you'll join me along this ride that is life being a Christian, wife, mother, and small business owner!