growing smaller.

I have gone back and forth about posting this blog, but I’m afraid for the sake of personal accountability and clear communication, I just need to get it out there.  A little over four years ago, I stumbled into someone else’s dream of becoming a photographer.  Although, I have always considered my first artistic love to be photography, I never imagined myself running a business and actually making a go of it.  Blending my love for kids and families with photography has truly been a gift.  I have discovered many sides of myself that were hiding.  I have grown spiritually and artistically.  God has used this little business in my life, and the life of my family, in countless ways.  My heart is full of gratitude for this gift he has laid before us.

As the business has grown, so have my two little boys.  They are bigger, more needy, more talkative, more energetic, more fun, and well….more everything.  They require much from their exhausted mommy.  Along with these boys, I have this amazing and patient husband.  I love him.  I long to be a wife that honors and respects him…the wife I knowI was created to be.

A little over a month ago, I made the decision to drastically scale back Amy Henry Photography.  I believe that the Lord has graciously led me to this decision.  There is a strong desire in me to make everything in my life smaller, less fussy and uncluttered.  AHP has become way to big for me to move forward at the pace I have been setting.  It has been a BLESSING (I could say that a million times and it wouldn’t be enough), however, it is more than what we can all do right now.

Here’s the deal: I am not going away all together.  I will still maintain the website and blog, hopefully, with an update every so often.  I will keep a less busy calendar of shoots.  And finally, I will give myself the freedom to say “not at this time”….whenever it is necessary.  If you are one of my amazing and faithful clients, thank you so much for your support.  Again, I am not disappearing, just getting smaller.

wrapping up.

This past Sunday was my last scheduled shoot for the fall season.  Whew!  It has been busy, and yet, a whole lot of fun!  Balancing my real life with my very real family and a job that gets bigger every year has become the tightrope that I walk.  Thank you, Lord……I love the tightrope.  Looking forward to filling orders and then taking a break for a bit.  Here are a handful of shots that I love.  There were many, but these are the ones I picked for you.  Enjoy and have a very Merry Christmas.

Rain or shine, boys.

The unpredictability factor makes photography hard and wonderful.  I have a love/hate relationship with weather that will not make up it’s mind.  This control freak is learning to enjoy even the messiest of photo shoots.  A few Saturdays ago, my sweet friend, former roommate, and Felicity kindred-spirit brought her three adorable boys out for a photo shoot.  About 45 minutes into it, the sky opened up and the rains came.  Thankfully, we had a productive 45 minutes and got the shots she was hoping for i.e. face shots, Christmas card pic, etc.  After taking cover for a few minutes…hoping it would “blow over”….we just gave in and let those boys play….monograms and all!  Here are some shots from this really fun Saturday morning.  Meet Wheeler, Hollis, and Wrenn.

this family.

Between thunderstorms last Saturday, I had the opportunity to shoot the Bailey kids again.  For the past two years, this adorable and fun (and really funny) family drove from Memphis so that I could take their pictures.  We were dodging raindrops, but it ended up turning into a great shoot.  The Baileys LOVE each other.  So refreshing to hang out with teenagers who are really crazy about their parents and each other.  It was, once again, encouraging and time well spent.  I thought I would share some of my favorites.

i knew this would happen.

My intentions were pure and I was motivated.  Adding the blog to my business and website would be SUCH a great move and the perfect next step.  Deep down I knew I would struggle with regular entries.  On this amazing journey as a wife, mother, and photographer,  I feel like everything in my life gets a “little bit” of me.   Blog entries have gotten less than that and it is okay.  I’m back on track (for the moment) and am recommitting to posting images from my shoots that I think will be fun for you to see.   Tonight I am adding some images from a few sweet summer shoots.  One of which is a very dear college friend’s precious little girl.  Such a joy to photograph a child of someone that you know and love dearly.  God has been good to me in that way.  Many of my clients are very dear friends.  

I am gearing up for a busy autumn.  I completely booked with a few families on my waiting list.  I am grateful and overwhelmed.  

 

Enjoy and thanks for stopping in.

 

mda shoot. derby for duchenne.

Recently, I had the great pleasure of photographing some precious boys for a PR shoot for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  There is an upcoming event, Derby for Duchenne, that will raise money for the organization, specifically for researching one particular type of MD, Duchenne Muscular Dystropy (DMD).  It is our hope and prayer that this event will raise enough money to fund the research needed to find a cure for DMD.  For more info., visit http://www.derbyforduchenne.com.  Thanks for a moment of your time and enjoy the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spring.

Spring is around the corner and my calendar is filling up.  I am looking forward to meeting several new clients that have scheduled sessions.  Thanks for trusting me to capture your precious kiddos (& families).  Just a reminder….except for some baby sessions, I will not be scheduling shoots for the months of June, July, & most of August…..it’s hot in B’ham and I’ll need a bit of a break!

Here’s hoping for some great weather this Spring!!!

p.s. I’ve posted some new links at the bottom.  Check them out.

 

february sun.

We were really thankful for the weather last weekend.  The warm sun decided to show up for our shoot.  Always a plus in the dead of winter.  Thought I would post a few of my favorites from the afternoon.  Meet Olivia and big sister, Maddie.  

 

 

 

a new day.

So I am stepping into the very place I swore that I would never, not ever, go. A blog. It seemed to me that blogs were, and still are, self-indulgent and possibly useless in the grand scheme of it all. I am the one who frequently made fun of bloggers rattling on and on about themselves, their lives and opinions as if there was this large audience waiting on their words to appear on screen. I probably still feel this way deep down. So here I sit….making fun of myself.

I am hoping this blog will be an exclamation point to my business (Amy Henry Photography). Possibly a way to stay connected with my wonderful clients, who continue to encourage me and affirm this path that I seem to be traveling down. I ask forgiveness in advance for any content that seems self-indulgent and useless. I am committed to keeping this blog focused on my business. Because my life and work are so connected, you will probably catch glimpses of my life as a wife and mom, if you choose to return, that is.

My hope and prayer is that the words and images that end up here will be an encouragement to you, the very patient and kind reader.

Here are a few images from a recent shoot. Her name is Lucy and she was a dream.