09/06/2026
A little life update from the photographer who has been suspiciously quiet on here lately…
For most of my adult life, I’ve hustled.
I built my photography business working nights and weekends because I needed to. Through a marriage where money was tight, through becoming a single mom, and later while helping support a much bigger family while my husband built a career on 100% commission.
Somewhere along the way, hustling just became normal.
And I am tired.
Not tired of photography. Not tired of creating. Not tired of the families who have trusted me to document their lives year after year.
I’m just tired of the hustle.
Photography has given me so much. I’m incredibly proud of Holly & June Photo Co. and everything I’ve built over the years. I’m proud of Pearl St. Studio and the little space I created in our town. I’m proud that something I loved helped support my family during seasons when we truly needed it.
But life looks different now.
I got into real estate partly because I wanted more control over my schedule. Does that still mean evening showings, weekend appointments, late-night contracts and answering my phone when I’d rather not? Absolutely. 😂 But the hustle feels different.
And for the first time in a very, very long time, I don’t have to fill every open night and weekend with another job.
So I’ve made a pretty big decision.
Pearl St. Studio will officially close its doors on December 31.
The studio will remain available for other photographers to rent through the end of the year, and I WILL be doing Christmas minis one last time this holiday season. I can’t imagine closing this chapter without one final Christmas in the studio.
Later this year, I’ll also be hosting a sale for studio furniture, props and photography equipment as I start clearing everything out. I’ll share those details here when the time comes.
Holly & June Photo Co. is not completely going away.
I still love photography, and I honestly don’t think that part of me will ever disappear. But going forward, I’ll primarily be photographing previous clients, and even then, I’ll be much more selective about my availability.
Because my kids are getting older.
Way too quickly.
When I look back at the last several years, I’m incredibly proud of how hard I worked for them. But I also realize how many nights, weekends, lazy mornings and little adventures I traded for work.
I haven’t had an entire weekend with absolutely no work responsibilities in years.
And lately I’ve realized something that sounds so simple:
I can make more money later. I cannot make them little again.
I want camping weekends. I want family dinners. I want to read a book outside with nowhere I need to be. I want spontaneous trips and lazy Sundays. I want to be able to say “yes” when my kids ask to do something instead of checking my calendar first.
And I want to take pictures because I want to take pictures again, not because every open spot on my calendar needs to become income.
There’s definitely some sadness in closing Pearl St. Studio. That little space represents a lot of work, a lot of dreams, a lot of families and a version of me who was determined to make absolutely everything work.
I’m really proud of her.
But I don’t think she needs to hustle anymore.
I spent a lot of years building a life where I could finally slow down a little.
I think it’s time I actually enjoy it. 💙
