Prompts

Three weeks ago, I sat down to plan our Christmas photos. I opened Pinterest. Saw 47 different Christmas aesthetic styles. Felt immediately overwhelmed. Classic red and green? Modern minimalist white? Vintage nostalgic? Rustic farmhouse? Elegant gold? Cozy hygge? Outdoor winter wonderland? I wanted them all. But hiring photographers for even three different styles would cost … Read more

Two weeks after my daughter Emma was born, I got a text from a newborn photography studio: “Your session is in 3 days! $495 package includes 2 hours and 25 edited photos.” I stared at that number. $495. We’d just spent thousands on hospital bills. Diapers alone were costing $80 a month. And they wanted … Read more

Six months ago, a recruiter told me something that stung: “Your LinkedIn photo looks like a vacation selfie. It’s hard to take you seriously as a senior candidate.” She was right. My profile picture was a cropped wedding photo from 2019. Bad lighting. Casual clothes. Zero professional presence. Professional headshot photographers in my area quoted … Read more

Four months ago, my Instagram was depressing. I’d post a photo. Get 23 likes. Maybe one comment from my mom saying “Beautiful sweetheart!” I had 800 followers. Most were old high school friends who never engaged. My posts disappeared into the algorithm void within minutes. I watched influencers with millions of followers and wondered what … Read more

Three months before my wedding, I got the photography quote: $8,500 for eight hours of coverage. That included ceremony, reception, and 200 edited photos. I nearly cried. We’d already blown our budget on the venue. My dress cost more than expected. Catering was $12,000. We simply didn’t have $8,500 left for photography. But I refused … Read more

Last New Year’s Eve, I spent three hours getting ready. Hair perfectly styled. Makeup flawless. Sequin dress that cost $200. Heels that hurt immediately. I looked amazing. For approximately 20 minutes. Then I checked the photos my friends took at the party. Terrible lighting. Red eyes. Awkward angles. My $200 dress looked cheap. My professional … Read more

Every Valentine’s Day, the same disaster: I plan a romantic date. We dress up. I try to take couple photos. My boyfriend looks awkward, uncomfortable, or is blinking in every single shot. Last year, I took 73 photos trying to get one decent couple shot. Posted the least-terrible option. Got 89 likes. My boyfriend looked … Read more

My 29th birthday photos were embarrassing. Harsh overhead lighting. Red eyes. Mid-chew in half the shots. Blurry cake cutting moment. Sweaty post-dancing selfies. I looked exhausted instead of celebratory. I deleted them all within a week. An entire year of my life with zero birthday documentation because every photo was terrible. This year for my … Read more

My wedding photographer quoted me an extra $2,000 for “bridal party portraits package.” That was on top of the $6,500 base package. She explained: “Getting 8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen to all look good in one shot takes time and skill. Plus you’ll want individual portraits of each bridesmaid, couple shots, creative group arrangements…” I … Read more