Happy DECADE of Being a Full Time Wedding Photographer | Irwin, PA

With his fork balanced in his hand, he leaned across the table and smiled at me.

“So, how do you like weddings so far?”

His eyes twinkled – he obviously loved weddings and had been in the industry for decades. Over the course of our conversation at dinner, he had shared that he had started out as a photographer (with an “old” Canon camera that was his workhorse) and somewhere along the line, transitioned into videography.

I could tell: he wasn’t the type who would put together a flashy reel after the wedding or a snappy highlight film – his focus was recording the main events of the day: the ceremony and reception, with clean, clear audio, and steady videos. No modern edits or TikTok trends (although he 100% loved playing with AI and editing on his iPhone!)

I smiled back over our plates of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and grilled squash.

“Oh, I love weddings. I’ve been shooting them for a while.”

“Oh really? I figured since you were Katie’s assistant, that you were new to the game. How long have you been shooting weddings?”

As the words slipped from my lips, they hit me differently. I’ve recited these same “stats” to so many people over the years, but for whatever reason, my brain actually HEARD what I was saying this time.

“I shot my first wedding in 2009 and I’ve been a full time wedding photographer since 2014.”

“Wow! 10 years! That’s awesome – good for you!”

The conversation around the table turned to other topics (as we all shoveled our food quickly into our mouths – wedding vendors don’t get long for a dinner break!) but the room around me faded as I contemplated what I’d just said:

10 years.

I’ve been a full time wedding photographer for a DECADE.

If I was still working for Disney, I’d have the opportunity to attend a fun ceremony and I’d get a commemorative pin to add to my name tag to celebrate my 10 years.
If I was working for another company, I’d probably get some sort of tie-clip or plaque to put on my desk to let people know that I’d been around for a while.

But what do I get as a wedding photographer? As someone who owns their own business?

Well, I write myself this blog post.

I photographed my first wedding in 2009 and instantly fell in love with the entire process. I spent the next few years learning (and devouring) every piece of education I could find on the internet about starting a business, posing people, how to find the best light, what aperture meant, learning how to file business taxes, the list goes on and on.

In late summer of 2014, Derrick and I were at a pretty big crossroads. We had made the decision to sell our house and move across the state in order to be closer to my family. This meant we needed to buy a new house, pack up and move all of our stuff, and find new jobs ourselves.

Derrick found a job at Shred-It (having steadily climbed the ladder from a driver to a regional supervisor, that’s where he still works today) and I decided to take my photography business full time.
After all, I was pregnant and couldn’t imagine finding a job, only to leave it a few months later to be home with my baby.

When I was starting my business from 2009-2013, I had one goal in mind: I wanted a way to supplement my husband’s income while staying home with my kids. I didn’t have any kids at the time, but I knew we would have kids eventually and I knew I wanted to stay home with them. And when we moved in 2014, that seemed like the logical time to make the leap into full time photography.

In hindsight, it was a little crazy – ALL of my clients were 5 hours away from me and we drove many thousands of miles back and forth so that I could fulfill my commitments in north eastern PA. Little by little my business grew here in the Pittsburgh area and by 2017 I was phasing myself completely out of north eastern PA.

The last decade has brought lots of ups and downs, years of abundance (and me learning that there was such a thing as taking “too many” jobs) and years of a slower pace. My business has ebbed and flowed – I’ve worked through two pregnancies and nursing two babies (and having to figure out how to find time to pump on wedding days). I’ve met and worked with some of the most incredible people on the planet (a lot of whom still follow me and come back to me for family portraits year after year). I have lots of crazy stories to tell – but through it all, one thing remains: I love wedding days.

So, here I am. 2024 has been a “slower pace” year for my business – but I’ve filled the quiet parts of my calendar by second shooting for other photographers, taking on some jobs covering events that I’d normally turn down, and added in content creation to my repertoire.

The last 10 years have been a wonderful, sweet, exhilarating, fun ride. And I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

I pulled just a few photos from over the last decade. I love that my trusty Shootsac is in almost every single image (I adore that bag and still carry it to weddings today – making it the most valuable investment that I’ve ever made). I also couldn’t help but laugh that the same dress (with the green peplum top and black “skirt”) that I’m wearing in so many images – I still have that dress and if it wasn’t for a snag and hole I got in the back, I’d still wear it today (I only wear it now if I can wear a sweater over top and hide the snag!)

If you can’t get enough, I blog images of me working behind-the-scenes every year! 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2013.