So, this blog post has been coming for a while. In case you didn’t know, I’m a military spouse, and any of us who are military spouses know that we aren’t completely in control of our lives.
Part of why I got into photography was I needed a more flexible job that I could control schedule wise and because I knew that I would go insane being a stay-at-home mom. I love meeting new people in small groups, learning new skills on the the photography and technology fronts, and being creative. I also love having something that is just for me.
Well, last spring, I was itching to switch jobs. My second oldest was going to school full-time, and I wanted a school that payed a bit more so I could justify the costs of daycare for my youngest and before and after care for my older two children. I was in the midst of interviewing at my dream school, and I learned my husband was going to be deploying for a year. 
I had to let the school I was interviewing at know that the primary job they were interviewing me for wasn’t going to be an option, as it required way too many overnights leading retreats and service trips. Luckily, they still liked me enough to have me interview for a position teaching English. I didn’t interview anywhere else, knowing the deployment was looming, but I figured that if I was able to land this job then I would take it and it was meant to be.
Luckily, I got it, and I’ll be teaching English to freshmen and sophomores at an all-boys’ school in the DC area. On the downside, my husband has months of pre-deployment training starting this fall and will be deployed for a year starting next spring.
Part of the reason I’m able to keep my pricing so low is my husband allows me to take photos. He lets me spend time, many weekends and evenings each month, taking photos of families, allowing me to be creative, and giving me space to be something other than a mom to my three kids. Not having that free childcare, though, is going to mean things are going to have to change temporarily for my photography business.
I am going to really be limiting my sessions starting in August. I need to figure out how much I can handle with the new job, and I need to spend some serious time with my family before my husband begins training and leaves. Another big change will be my travel radius. I’m still happy to shoot in Virginia, DC, and locations outside Calvert County, but because of childcare, there will be travel fee for anything more than 25 miles away from the 20689 ZIP code.
So, if you are itching for a fall session for your Christmas cards, it’s best to contact me now to see what I have open. My plan is initially to only book 2-3 sessions a month and try to limit them to one weekend each month. I may try to do some Christmas minis. We aren’t 100 percent sure of training dates and when single parenting kicks in, so I am probably going to wait until September to make any announcements about that. I can probably take one more session for the end of August, but that’s it for my summer schedule.
I’m not sure if this is going to work or if I’ll end up killing this awesome business I built, but I know that family comes first, and I need to give my kids some stability at home since their dad is going to be gone for a long time. I hope all of my clients stick with me and that I can continue to make this work. I have so loved growing as a photographer and have cherished the opportunity to freeze so many amazing moments for so many families!
Be patient, and just know I will continue to update everyone as I get my life figured out! But if you know you want a session, please contact me at teresa@tcjdesign.com as soon as possible so we can start talking dates and I can have you on my radar!
