if you please, draw me a sheep....

It is with a mug full of hope and just a splash of sadness that I inform you that I am closing my photography business at this time.

First of all, let's not freak-out. Lord knows I have done enough of that this year for all of us, so we're covered there. I am sending this out intentionally on a Saturday afternoon, hoping to catch you in one of those times when you've maybe had an afternoon cocktail and a mild case of heat stroke, so you'll just roll with me on this one and we don't have to fight about it.:)

This is a decision that was not made in haste, but rather a little untitled idea that has been bouncing around in my head for quite some time, and when several recent events gave it a title and purpose, I was grateful to finally understand what my heart has been trying to express for a while.

I have treasured my photography clients and take great pride in the opportunities I have been allowed. I have been fortunate beyond words, not just for the accolades, but more to have the people in these pictures I take in my real, daily life. I "close" this little shop of mine with great joy and not an ounce of regret. To end on this note, at this time, is nothing but sweet.

So, what does this mean? Well, if you are some random person that just ended up on my mailing list, it probably means nothing. And if that's the case, how about this weather, eh? And football season just around the corner? Talk about good times.

If you are someone that has a gift certificate, we will book your session and precede as normal. In the past I have been able to be very lax about expiration dates on gift certificates, but unfortunately that is no longer the case. If you had a scheduled session for this fall, you will receive an email from me shortly, but nothing changes with those either. Just as I didn't come to this decision overnight, it will take some time to wrap-up everything and I am completely aware of that. Finally there are a few of you dear, regular clients that I have been exchanging emails back and forth with recently to get you booked for the fall. I will do my best to still do this. In my 8 years of photographing families, you have shown me such kindness and loyalty and I will do everything I can to ensure that I give it right back to you.

The inevitable question: But Lynsey, what on earth will you do? Well, many of you don't know this about me, but I am an incredible dishwasher. So, as marketable skills go, that one definitely goes in the "plus" column. I am also toying with the idea of opening my own landscape company which I will of course call Sad Grass (We kill your grass so you don't have to!). However, I am ruling out working at Target because I think we can all agree that I just don't look good in red. But what I see most likely happening is the management of my cats modeling careers becoming a full time job that sort of just takes over my life.

Photography will always be a part of me and I accept the idea that down the line (way, way down the line), I may miss it terribly and call each of you begging to take me back like a pathetic ex-girlfriend showing up drunk on your doorstep in the middle of the night, but right now I am looking forward to a future where the majority of pictures I take are of my kids. And my cats, of course. I will no doubt continue crazy little photo projects and loaning my camera operating skills to random things, like when 4 second grade teachers need a picture of them all jumping off a bench (to prove just how relatable they are to 7 year olds, of course). My website will remain up for the time being, mainly because I don't need the domain for my bull-riding career until I get a little more well-known on that circuit. The blog of course stays up, and now probably gets to be updated more frequently and with more swear words (can I get a HELL YEAH?). I have always gone to the written word when it's an option, and I imagine that I will be doing that now more than ever.

I was recently asked what is my most favorite picture I've ever taken. Oddly, no one had ever asked me that before. I have ones that I am especially proud of, ones that serve a benchmarks in my career, ones that remind me of how I got here and why, but in general, I don't have a favorite. What I do have is a massive print of the picture above. Taken a million years ago, it was the first picture I ever took that I thought was good enough to blow-up huge and hang proudly on my living room wall. The depth of field sucks, the focus is a little off, and it certainly wouldn't have killed me to try and fix that blown-out side before I printed it. It's not perfect. But in 8 years I never took a perfect photo. I just took a lot of ones that I really, really love and have been thrilled that you have liked them too. And I wouldn't ask for it to be any other way.

Thank you. Whether I have taken your family pictures every year, see you all the time, have never met you, or call you my dearest friends.....you have no idea just how much you mean to me.