08/23/2026
I want to make a little update because I know there have been some changes, reschedules, and moving pieces with my business.
This year has been one of the hardest years of my life personally. I am going through a divorce, preparing for custody court this fall, trying to sell my home under an extremely stressful financial situation, working a second job whenever I’m not photographing, raising my kids, dealing with car issues, house showings, and still doing everything I can to keep this business moving.
I’m trying really hard to push through this year because I truly do want to keep doing what I love. Photography has been such a huge part of my life, and I don’t want to give it up. But right now, I am in survival mode. I have to make decisions based on what is best for me and my kids, and when next year comes, there are going to be some major life changes. My schedule will be changing drastically, I will be taking on far fewer sessions, and I will most likely be looking for a full-time regular job so I can create more stability for my family.
I’m not sharing this for sympathy, and I don’t feel like I owe the internet every detail of my personal life. I’m sharing it because I need people to understand that there is a real person behind this business who is carrying a lot right now.
If I reach out asking to move or reschedule a session, I promise it is not because I don’t value you, your time, or your photos. I am doing everything I can to accommodate everyone while also trying to keep a roof over my children’s heads, work another job, handle my personal life, and still show up for my clients.
What I cannot continue doing is being spoken to disrespectfully, receiving hateful messages, or immediately being met with refund demands every single time life forces me to move something. I completely understand being disappointed or frustrated, but there is a difference between being frustrated and treating someone badly.
I also need to be very transparent about something financially. I cannot afford to refund dozens of sessions. A large portion of the photography income I am currently working off of was paid months ago or even last year, and my second job is barely covering basic living expenses. That is exactly why contracts, retainers, rescheduling policies, and refund policies exist because I am not paid hourly, but by the session. I will always work with my clients where I reasonably can, but I cannot financially survive if every unavoidable reschedule automatically turns into a refund request or demand.
Going forward, I need my boundaries and policies to be respected. Rescheduling does not automatically mean a refund is owed, and bookings will continue to follow the contracts and policies agreed to when booking.
Most importantly, my children come first. I come first too. My mental health, my stability, and rebuilding a healthy life for my kids have to matter. I am already carrying more than I ever imagined I would be carrying this year, and being torn apart by people on top of it is something I simply cannot continue allowing.
I love photography. I love The Rustic Lens. I love creating memories for people, and I am trying like hell to make it through this season without losing something I have worked so hard to build. But I cannot do that at the expense of myself or my children.
So right now, I’m asking for something pretty simple: patience, communication, flexibility when it is genuinely needed, and basic human respect.
You are allowed to be frustrated. You are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to advocate for yourself as a client. But you are not allowed to disrespect me, attack me, or forget that there is a human being on the other side of the screen who is doing everything she can to keep going.
I’m pushing through the rest of this year the best I can. Next year will look very different, and those changes will be made with my kids, my wellbeing, and our future at the center of them. 🤍
