September was an absolutely incredible month for me and AWP. The studio got a beautiful makeover, I booked two more weddings for next year, and I got to serve some absolutely wonderful new clients. To cap it off, I was fortunate enough to attend a small, in-person workshop with one of the greatest newborn photographers in the world, Kelly Brown.

Up until now I’ve received all of my training and education from online workshops and courses, which are fantastic, but nothing compares to a full day learning in-person from the best of the best. And trust me – it was a FULL day! Two sweet little models came to visit us in the morning so that we could work extensively on posing, lighting, and of course, safety.

After lunch, we dove right into business. We discussed how to determine what products to offer our clients, how to prepare clients for the session, and everything that goes into operating a successful boutique portrait studio. I loved this portion of the day because it’s so important to me to run my studio in a way that ensures I’m still here to serve you next year – and the year after that – and the decade after that.

The best part was being able to collaborate with the other newborn photographers attending the workshop. Photography can be an isolating field, but we all worked together to help one another. It was so refreshing to see community win out over competition, and Kelly urged us to do some research to determine exactly how many babies were born in our area each year.

I did my homework, and it turns out that 4,247 babies are born in southern Maryland each year. At the very most, I could photograph 50 of those babies in a year – that’s just barely 1%! I couldn’t possibly photograph every family in southern Maryland, so my goal is simply to ensure that I love and serve my clients the very best way that I can.

All in all, this day was hands down the greatest investment I’ve ever made in myself and my business. I’m bursting with excitement about all that I’ve learned, and my passion for the newborn genre is at an all-time high. This is what I’m called to do, and I’m honored to share this gift with so many wonderful families.

Please note: all images shown in this blog post were created during Kelly Brown’s workshop with her guidance. Visit the portfolio to view images created solely by me.