Wow! What a year!! Many memories made, lessons learned, and experiences were had. I met so many wonderful families, witnessed the most beautiful couples make forever promises, and had the opportunity to get to know so many people.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of you who picked me to capture your memories and be a tiny part of your lives this year.
Joining forces with some of the area's most talented and creative professionals is definitely on the top of my wish list when it comes to adding projects to my resume. It's also one of my most preferred methods of finding personal inspiration. I continually find collaborating with artists I admire and observing their work-in-action to be very inspiring.
With the new year around the corner and the holidays in full swing, my mind has been on goal setting, reviewing what did and didn't work in 2013, and brainstorming ways to create a better experience for my clients in 2014.
One thing that didn't work for me in 2013 was burnout. I pushed my boundaries quite a bit and learned from it. With that in mind, I started brainstorming ways I could find a healthier balance between doing what I love (photographing love) and paying the bills. There's a lot that goes into running a business that isn't always a ton of fun. But, it's necessary in order to maintain a career of doing what I love.
After much thinking and conversing with Tommy, we've decided to dive full force into bringing The Birth Session to life in 2014. I made the big announcement on Facebook this morning, but I wanted to make sure my blog readers didn't miss the news:
Because birth is such a passion of mine, I didn't want my wedding and portrait photography business to become overwhelmed with birth pictures and conversations. While the two types of photography are similar in that they are both photojournalistic and full of emotion, they are also obviously different. So this is a great way to help keep things separate and to respect my brides, grooms, and families who have no interest in birth whatsoever.
I hope you'll come over and like the new Facebook page. (And share it with your friends if you think they may be interested, too!)
It's no secret how passionate I am about birth and the time period (that seems frozen for women living in it) surrounding birth. I am a part of the leadership team of a local non-profit, The Motherhood Collective, which greatly nurtures this passion of mine. Our target niche is a small one: women in the short (yet, oh so long) season between hoping-to-be-expecting and the postpartum period. My favorite group to connect with are mamas with growing bellies who are educating themselves about their birth options and planning for the future of their precious babe. I could talk birth for hours.
I guess it was a little over a year ago I ran into Cheryl from 4thGenerationDesigns at a local, in-person craft/etsy show. I immediately LOVED her products. Of course I dropped the tiny fact that I was a photographer and I'd love to use her sweet headbands and hats on my little subjects. Soon after meeting, we reconnected and Cheryl sent me some goodies to play with. Little Brooklyn was my first model.
“Liz Cook is an incredibly talented and attentive professional. Her sweet and gentle countenance is paired with her ability to capture the most tender and joyful moments of the births that she photographs. Liz’s photos will bring you years of enjoyment as they draw you back to the delight and bliss of your birth experience.”
