When I arrived, he was taking a little cat nap. I walked in to his room to say hello and he was all smiles. The perfect way to start a photo shoot! We started the shoot at his house and then took a quick ride to a nearby park. I love being able to take my time and connect with clients. Erica and Matt are so sweet and are totally in love with their baby boy. How could you not be with that face???

I am thrilled that Miss Lily came to see me though. Her mama won a mini session from a Police Unity Tour fundraiser in Florham Park. We met at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum and had a blast checking out the scenery. I haven’t photographed a toddler in a while so it was so much fun for me. Miss Lily was the perfect subject!

Last week I attended my first photography retreat in Seattle. What an amazing experience! I chose the Chic Retreat because of the speakers. Kelli France, Laura Winslow, Sarah Cornish, Michelle Huegsen, Leah Remillet, Kara May, Heidi Hope, and Jean Smith. Two of those ladies I’ve met before because they photographed my family, but the others I just followed online. As far as I’m concerned, they are celebrities in the photography world. I was quite intimidated to meet them all. It’s one thing to be photographed by Laura Winslow or Sarah Cornish, but to “talk shop” is so scary to me. I think I’ll always feel like a poser in this industry. Like, what am I doing among all of these super smart, super talented people? The good news is I never felt like I didn’t belong.

I had such a great time, but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, the city is gorgeous. Not one drop of rain. Blue skies for 4 days. And yes, the food was yummy, although I didn’t indulge in the local seafood specialties. Instead, I had doughnuts that were divine, spring salads with strawberries and almonds, and delicious french toast. Yes, the speakers were amazing. I was so psyched to see Heidi Hope do a live newborn shoot and she didn’t disappoint. Although the baby didn’t sleep, she talked us through what she would do and how she handles certain situations. It was helpful to me to see that even the ‘celebrities’ have fussy babies. She never panicked. She never apologized. She just went with it. I felt validated that I am headed in the right direction as far as newborns go. I’ve always struggled with the flow of a newborn session and her process made so much sense to me.

Jean Smith was a super star. So much confidence. I loved watching her work and learning about off camera flash. She gave us some great tips about posing as well. Leah Remillet was awesome too! What a great personality! She spoke about pricing and sales, something that always makes me cringe. But she did it in a totally fun, accessible way. A way that made me say, DUH! My brain is still swimming with ideas. I found a new confidence too in regards to pricing. Let’s get real. This is my job. Photography is not a hobby for me. It puts food on the table for my family. Without it, we would not be able to pay the bills. Plain and simple. I don’t have to be shy about what I charge.

I also loved Laura Winslow and her amazing ideas about blogging and marketing. She is so sweet and easy to talk to. I got a few minutes alone with her and walked away feeling like the whole retreat could end right then and I’d be satisfied. She made me feel like we are all on the same level. We all struggle with the same feelings and insecurities. I have to admit, being in a situation with more than 40 women made me feel like I was back in high school. I was such an insecure teenager and that feeling has never really left me. I was nervous. I wanted people to like me. I didn’t want to seem too eager. I was afraid to put myself out there. The presenters were like the populars kids. They had the best gear, the coolest clothes, and killer connections. They had it all. Talking to Laura really helped me see that we all struggle with the same issues at some point in our careers. In our lives. As moms. As friends. As women. Like I said in the beginning, I never felt like I didn’t belong.

And I can’t write this post without mentioning Sarah Cornish. I just love her to pieces. We have so much in common. She has two girls that are similar in age to my two girls. Plus two boys and one on the way!! She’s so soft spoken and sweet with her clients. The kids love her. She takes her time and she is so good at making you feel like you’ve been BFF’s for years! And she was nervous!! Imagine that!! Who knew celebrities get nervous?!

Something weird happened on the plane ride home too. I was reading Mindy Kaling’s book, “Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me?” This paragraph hit home  ”I just want ambitious teenagers to know that it’s totally fine to be quiet, observant kids. So many people I work with – famous actors, accomplished writers – were overlooked in high school. Be like Allan Pearl. Sit next to the class clown and study him. Then, grow up, take everything you learned, and get paid to be a real-life clown.” She asks teenage girls to not worry about being popular in high school because it doesn’t matter once you graduate.  And she’s right.

I should stop worrying about what other people are doing. What other photographers are charging. What other photographers are shooting or how they pose. I need to follow my heart and do what’s best for me and my family. I need to do what makes me happy and what makes my heart sing. I left the retreat feeling so inspired and full of hope.

One of the many things I took away from the retreat was to put myself out there more. I am my brand. I am my business. The thing that sets me apart from other photographers in my area is ME! My goal is to write more. Did you know that I graduated from college with an English degree? I used to write all the time. In journals. In notebooks. On my phone. I don’t write as much anymore for 2 reasons. Fear and time. Time I can fix. I just have to make it a priority. Part of my schedule. I need to be more disciplined.

Fear is something I have to work on. Putting yourself out there means opening yourself up to criticism. I’m a photographer now. I deal in pictures, not words. Somewhere between becoming and mom and now, my brain became mush. My attention span has shortened considerably. Five minutes checking email turns into an hour on Facebook. It took me 3 days to write this post!!

But I need to get back into writing. I need to get back into thinking and observing and recording. This blog is the perfect place for me to do that. Part of why I like writing so much is also one of the reasons I love photography. Words help me remember just like pictures help me relive moments.

All in all, the retreat was a wonderful experience. I met two amazing women who I shared a hotel room with. How’s that for putting yourself out there? Sharing a room with two complete strangers. One from Alaska and the other from Texas. I hope that we continue the friendship we created in Seattle.  You should totally check out their work!

Cat Herndon Photography and Megan Marlene Photography

Here are some images I took from the retreat. We had so many beautiful models!

*All of the above images were posed and styled by the presenters.

And the swag! Oh the swag!! Such a beautifully styled event and Kelli and Ashlee thought of everything!! It was memorable and emotional and I can’t wait to do it again!!

Anywho, the reason I keep shooting newborns is because I fall in love with the families I meet. Amy, Anthony, Milo, and Clara are super sweet and they were so accommodating. I give new moms a ton of credit inviting me into their home days after giving birth. I love getting to chat with them about their experience too. Milo is still little himself! It took some coaxing to get him to come hang out with his new baby sister but this is where mom and dad are really important. They never lost their cool. They didn’t push it. They were patient and I think it paid off. I love these two shots. The first one because he is exploring this new person in his life. The second because they are making the same face! I didn’t notice it when I snapped it, but I think it’s adorable.

Miss Clara made me work for these sleepy shots but it was soooo worth it. She’s look like a tiny angel!