A Bit About Me

Here Goes Nothing; Not your average, About Me, blog post.

So, to me, the idea of being an author and putting all the thoughts in my head onto paper, sounds AMAZING. I have always wanted to write. I have formed sentences into paragraphs into chapters. In my head. What I have found when trying to actually type something out is I am aaaalllll over the place. And SCARED. What? Why is blogging terrifying to me? "No one is going to read it", I tell myself. "You are a photographer, they just want to see the pictures. Who cares if you don't make any sense. Pull up your big girl panties and start writing." Well Friend, WAY easier said than done. I "started" this particular blog months ago. After saying I would start a blog over a year ago. Oy.

Today, while listening to my kids play Spy in the other room, I thought, hmm,, what would they tell me to write? SO, I asked. "If someone were going to hire me as their photographer, what do you think they would need to know about me." And that, my friend, is where this blog post is going to start.

I asked both kids for FIVE things about me that you should know.

Leah

1. You have 2 kids, Leah and Emmett. True. I also have a stepson named Cameron who is almost 24. Gah! Leah is 12 and in the 6th grade. Emmett is 9 and in 3rd grade
2. You like to work with flowers in the summer time. Correction little Lady, I LOVE FLOWERS. One of my very first jobs was at a local florist in Kalamazoo, MI. Vandersalms Flower shop and Garden Center. I got this job by walking up and down the road for hours applying to ALL the businesses. Vandersalms took the leap. I started as the clean up kid, working after school and weekends. Eventually I got to work the floor and even learned how to make floral arrangements. It was Heaven. Everything was beautiful and smelled fresh. I learned about flowers, customer service, being ON TIME, and time management. I was there all through high school and into college. A few years later I started another job at River Street Flowerland in Comstock, MI. Will you be shocked if I say I loved that also? Because I totally did. I got there before the doors opened in the morning and would stand in warm summer sunrises, watering flowers that spoke to me. I have always had a soft spot for flowers and this leveled up that passion. I was there for a few years before getting "a real job" at a local bank. (whom shall not be named) I would still go back to Flowerland and help on my days off. I would actually take vacation the week before Mothers Day to go help them out. It was a Greenhouse and HOT as blazes but I absolutely loved it. I may come across as prissy or girly to some but there is nothing better than a hard days work in dirt and flowers. I still visit both places a few times a year. Both to buy items and also to bask in all the beauty. (If you scroll all the way to the end of this post you will see some of my greenhouse photography, cause I'm such a geek for plants lol)
3. You give second chances when we are naughty. Yes, yes I do. I learned early on that we all make mistakes, no one is perfect. This applies to my photography style as well. My photos are meant to invoke love and happiness. Not always posed perfect. Yes, I love a good portrait as much as the next person but life is crazy. Perfection doesn't belong there. So I do give second chances, and third chances... maybe too many chances sometimes. But I believe in people. I know todders are going to cry sometimes and newborns aren't always going to want to sleep. I know Aunt Karen brought her DSLR and wants to get up close photos during your first dance. I don't freak out, I embrace it. Try again maybe, maybe not. It's all Art and beauty and chaos.
4. You make me happy. Ah, this one pulled at the ol heart strings. My daughter is SUPER smart (not so humble brag) but also somewhat of a vault when it comes to affection towards me. So this coming from her was extra special. And on the nose. I genuinely want you to be happy. Not so my pictures come out how I want, not so you come back (please come back), not so you tell all your friends (which you totally can if you want) but because I want people to BE HAPPY. Photography is about catching connections in real time. My sessions are not something you should begrudgingly DO. Although for some that is the case, you can't win them all. My sessions, my weddings, are ALL joyous occasions! Happiness is a HUGE part of them. Especially wedding days. I will NEVER show up to a wedding grumpy or foul. I am there to take your pictures, yes, but I will be with you all day. I am a "Wedding Day Enhancement". lol
5. You love us. Spot on My Dear. I am a Mother. I am also a Wife. My family means SO much to me. I know yours does too. Family is everything to me. If you want a photographer who gets it. Who knows the worry and the late nights and the hard work and the absolute undying love happening in your life, I am right here. I gotchu. I am in your corner. Love, love is where it's at.

Emmett

1. You say we are Angels. Hahahahahahaha, I have NO idea where that one came from but he's 5 so I'm just going to go with it. No, my kids are most definitely not Angels. They are both amazing in their own ways, smart and wicked funny but Angels they are not. I know they behave better for literally anyone else which is great and also extremely annoying. When your kids are losing their minds, I promise, absolutely zero judgement from me.
2. You love us. Oh man. The fact that they both said this ( I questioned them separately, one right after the other ) makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, I am actually doing an ok job at this Mom thing. I am full of doubt on a daily basis, am I screwing them up, do they know how much I love them, how can I be better? But, they both know, and love them I do.
3. You are silly and serious. Well, I suppose I am! I can be crazy and loud and spontaneous. I roll with the punches and try not to take myself too serious. BUT when it matters, I am very serious. I make sure to the best of my ability that my business runs smoothly. That your confidence in me does not waver. If I am taking your pictures or shooting your wedding, you better bet I'm bringing my A Game. You trust me with these things and I refuse to let you down. Yes, it will still be a freaking blast but I take my fun job very seriously. Weddings and wedding timelines are one of the things I will pull out my Boss Lady Card and be sure your day goes as planned. You give me a timeline and I am going to make sure, pending any major catastrophes, we stick to it. I have learned the hard way on this. I have helped hook dresses, attached boutonnieres, re-assemble bouquets, set up cakes, move tables, find lost members of bridal parties, gotten drinks, decorated archways, wiped away tears, CRIED (so many times), laughed, and loved for my couples. I have a ton of fun and so do you.
4. You make me feel Happy. Two kids, same answer. My heart is EXPLODING. Happiness seems the emotion of my home the majority of the time. We laugh and play and thoroughly enjoy being together. I don't know what that can tell you about my photography but it can certainly tell you about me.
5. One time you took us to a Water Park. My sweet little 5 year old boy. I just love him to bits. Yes, my husband and I totally took our kids to a Water Park that one time. Family time together is SO important to me. My kids are my world. They are WHY I am in photography. Spending time with them means everything. While I have a true passion for photography; my kids, my husband, are the only thing that trump it. I KNOW your family does too. I also know how fast that time goes by. Literally in the blink of an eye. Getting photos of us together (with ME in them also, GASP) is IMPORTANT. It has always been important and I am blessed to be able to do that for my clients. Whether it's a wedding, newborn, family, or any other kind of session. These photos are priceless really. You will never get this time back. I realized that pretty quickly once my daughter was born. That tiny baby is now almost as tall as me. I didn't get newborn pictures and it makes my heart hurt. Life is so special and fleeting.

A Pleasure to Introduce Myself

I hope this helped you get to know me a little better! Thank you for taking the time from your crazy hectic life to read my Blog. I truly appreciate it!

Much Love and Happiness to You and Yours,

Erica

As promised, My greenhouse shoot. Cause that's how I roll.