HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope this post finds you happy, healthy, and WARM – BURR it’s cold outside!!! I’ve read and heard so many people say that they are so glad 2010 is over and they are *so happy* 2011 is here! While I am happy and excited for what is to come I must admit I am a little sad that 2010 is over..and that it went so quickly! So many blessings were experienced and great memories made in 2010 that I can honestly say {wow}…life is so so good and we are so thankful. I am so thankful for my beautiful family, my amazing friends and clients (most of whom are now one and the same!), our church, the opportunities we have to meet new and wonderful people…and facebook. Yes, I am so thankful for facebook lol. Facebook has given me tremendous opportunities to live where I live and network with so many awesome people, especially from my hometown/past that I just couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to keep in touch with considering my schedule and location etc. So, facebook, CHEERS to you!
So now you’re wondering why the heck I am posting because I hardly post anymore on this poor neglected blog (I know and I am so sorry about that! LOL – facebook is just…so short and sweet!) so something must be up right? Well something is up…and here it is: I have decided that it would be best for me to take a 1-2 year sabbatical from serving photography clients. I will reevaluate at the end of 2011 to see where I am for the next shooting year and let you know if and when I will be open for bookings etc. Phew! I said it. (and without crying!) I have been ruminating on this topic…even struggling to post about it for a little while now going back and forth, back and forth, back then forth, back.and.forth, and then back and then forth again. Seriously. This is one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make…and yet it is one of the easiest decisions I have ever had to make because it concerns everyone I love. It has been a while now that I have felt the Lord quietly, gently, and lovingly nudging me towards this decision…Keep reading and I’ll explain myself. ♥
This past Nov. marked the 5 year anniversary of SDG Photography By Rosie Siebenthal and what an amazing 5 years it has been!! I have grown so much in photography and the business of photography thanks to so many amazing people (Including but def. not limited to Skye Hardwick, Michelle and Orin Trademan, and of course my bestie, Shellie Benson!) I would not be where I am today without these amazing people/photographers , YOU, or of course and most importantly the Lord who gives me strength, wisdom, sustains me on a daily basis.
When I started this business I had one child…a sweet 4 mth old little guy who inspired something inside of me…something deep down I didn’t know I had until he was born. Oh sure, I had always liked to “take pictures” (hence the *boxes* full of prints back from my film days down in storage) but my firstborn son inspired an unquenchable desire to learn how to capture the essence of people through photography…not just get a look at what they looked like at that particular time. It started mainly with babies and children (okay mainly *my little guy* lol) and that desire quickly turned into the desire to capture God’s beauty in people of all ages doing “life” around me. The thing about starting a business with one child is that it is much more doable than running a business while being the primary care giver (by choice!) of three children and teacher of two of them. I actually had days when the whole house was clean, laundry was done, and when he was napping and I was {{gasp}} bored thinking of things to do. LOL – Yes, yes laugh all you want but it’s true! I was, after all, transplanted by God from the suburbs of Chicago to a couple of acres in the country outside of a “town” of like 40 people in it (I think! lol) and had no cable or Internet for crying out loud (and the nearest library was 7 miles away!). Then my second was born, we moved three times in a year and while it was a huge (and fun!) adventure things got interesting mommy wise lol. Now with another sweet baby boy, homeschooling responsibilites, church activities and challenging logistics regarding childcare while mommy’s working – things have gotten reaaaallly interesting! My photography business was born because of my sweet baby boy 5 years ago and I am thankful for every minute of that 5 years. The thing is..he’s 6 now…and his little brothers are now 4 and ONE and life isn’t slowing down…as a matter of fact I feel like it is speeding UP and slipping through my fingers like sand and I can do nothing to stop it (except take pictures of all of it but then I am even too tired to do that most days! lol.) My boys need me plain and simple and while I do work at night and it’s nice to get away for shoots and I thoroughly enjoy myself (and they enjoy their time w/ their daddy) the problem lies in the lack of rest for me working nights in addition to all my regular daily routine responsibilities. If only there were 8 more hours in each day right?
Being a wife, mom, and running a photography business has gone really well in many ways and has always had it’s really wonderful times and major perks. It really is one of the best jobs EVER (difficult but it’s amazing!) - however, when I put the official “teacher” hat back on to homeschool my boys things got a little crazy. Okay, *I* got a little crazy lol
mainly b/c the time to sleep just wasn’t there. Many people (women especially) ask me, “how do you do it all?!” with big eyes like I have some amazing super powers or something. Well I don’t have any super powers (unless you count making ginormous piles of clean laundry go away neatly folded into their rightful drawers) but caffeine and I got pretty close the last couple of years…and I have *never* been one to need caffeine so I was not happy w/ that! I have discovered something about myself and it’s huge…as important as when I learned that I could and actually should ask for help back in my student teaching days…that I couldn’t do everything myself all the time..and it was…*okay* and a good thing to admit my weaknesses and get help where I needed it. I finally learned that I would actually be more effective and successful if I could ask for help effectively. Go figure huh!?
These last 5 years I have learned that I sure *can* do everything or rather many things…within reason but I sure *can’t* do ALL of them well…and still be my best me. I left teaching so I could stay home and be a full time mommy and be with my kiddos (and seriously have never looked back – best decision of my life even though teaching is so much a part of me) and then started photography for the joy of it and also for the added income thinking I could stay home and be with my babies while doing it. For a long time that worked out great but eventually it turned into me staying and being home but not really being present enough for my sweeties. I was either busy and unavailable for them or up at night and then {{gasp! I know!}} cranky all the time and short with them. Eeeks! I know hard to believe right?) That is not who I want them to remember me as. ♥ Something or someone somewhere is going to suffer in some sort of way either big or small and when it comes to my hubby, my health, my kiddos, their education, or my clients well, there’s no contest. I want and need to be 100% for everyone including myself…but I obviously cannot right now. So I’ve reached the point where I need to take a break from serving my photography clients for myself which is for my family, and believe it or not for my clients. Everyone I serve deserves my best and I expect nothing less of myself, but I need to be rested to be my best. At this season with (so many lol) little ones this is a great thing. Photography will always be there but my boys will not be at these ages for long. ♥ I do have some sessions and past/return client inquiries for 2011 that are already booked/paid and I will honor those (with great joy!). To those of you who are new clients and are interested in a session for 2011 please accept my apology if you were hoping to book and please allow me to offer you referral information for another photographer - I just happen to know a few *very* good ones!
Sigh… (deep cleansing exhale)…somehow the night got away from me (again) and it’s almost 3 a.m…hopefully this will be my last late nighter for a while. I pray you all have a Happy and Healthy New Year! Thank you so much for such a wonderful 5 years and remember, this is not goodbye, it’s just a…”see you soon”. ♥ If the next couple of years goes by as quickly as the last 5 has I’ll be back in no time at all. ;) I will try and post work of my sweet little guys periodically for you to see and I have a couple of *projects* I will start working on in addition to the rest of life that happens daily that I am exited about also – so that will be fun and I *will* be back! Have a great night and an amazing 2011 everyone!!!
Always w/ ♥ ~ Rosie.
.{And because posts w/ pictures are just way more fun here is our sweet little J at almost 1 year old for his birthday party invite!}.
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by Rosie
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