I Thought I Was Done With Photography & Why I'm Just Getting Started

The Story Behind the Stillness and the Reason I'm Choosing to Rise Again

There was a point not long ago when I thought I was quietly done.

Not publicly. Not dramatically. Just… finished.

I was emotionally drained. Mentally exhausted. Physically depleted. I had hit burnout in every way. And for a while, I truly believed I was going to walk away from photography completely.

The Fast Rise That Shook Me

I didn’t pick up a camera to become a photographer. I just wanted to take beautiful pictures of my kids and document our vacations. But once I started capturing people’s essence—not just how they looked, but who they really were—I was hooked.

I launched SG Photography in March of 2019. By September, I had a brick-and-mortar studio and a completely booked schedule through the following February. In that first year, I tripled what I made as a full-time 911 dispatcher.

It was a blur. A blessing. A whirlwind. And I was riding a high I didn’t know how to pace.

But then it caught up with me.

I booked everyone who asked. I didn’t want to say no. I was a people-pleaser, and I thought I was doing the right thing—making people happy, being available, saying yes. But it came at a cost: my time, my energy, my family, my creativity, my peace.

At first, being booked out months in advance felt incredible. But over time, it went from “Look at all this success” to “I don’t have a single day to breathe.”

The Year That Broke Me

In 2022, my husband was hospitalized in ICU for six months.

I was suddenly a full-time caregiver, full-time mom, and full-time business owner—all at once. I was carrying the weight of everything: my kids, my house, my team, my clients, and a husband I didn’t know if I’d get to bring home.

My body hurt constantly. My heart was in a state of constant stress. I cried if someone looked at me the wrong way. Creatively, I was numb.

There was no spark left.

There was no joy.

There was nothing but survival.

And truthfully, I don’t want to talk about my lowest moment. But I will say this: I didn’t just want to walk away from the business—I wanted to walk away from everything. I was so tired, so broken, and so empty that peace, in any form, sounded like the only thing I wanted.

The Turning Point

In 2023, I started over. My husband was home. My second photographer (Hannah) helped lighten my load. I was still dealing with heart issues and high blood pressure, and the stress of running two businesses was unbearable.

I wasn’t enjoying anything. Not my work. Not time with my family. Not even my own presence.

So I did what I had to do:

I closed the boutique.

I shut down the studio.

I pulled everything inward and said, “Just focus on healing.”

And in 2024, I did exactly that.

I worked from home. I took on only the shoots that felt aligned. I rested. I gardened. I got quiet. I remembered who I was without the pressure to produce.

I gave myself the space to grieve the love I’d lost for my work—and the space to find it again.

The Return

It started slowly.

Ideas popped into my head again. I started seeing styled shoots in my mind. I started missing my people—not just shooting them, but knowing them. Seniors who became brides. Families growing. Clients who had become friends.

I remembered that photography isn’t just something I do—it’s my way of making art. Of feeling. Of connecting.

I’m not 100% “back,” and I’m okay with that. But I’m standing in a new chapter—with a different rhythm and a deeper understanding of what I want my life to look like.

What’s Different Now

Now, I’m back—but not in the way I was before.

I’m back with intention.

Here’s what that looks like:

• I’m working from home

• I’m saying no without guilt

• I’m taking weekends off with my family

• I’m taking summers and holidays slow

• I’m choosing quality over quantity

• I’m focusing on work that sparks my creativity and honors my capacity

I’m still building. Still growing. But I’m doing it on my terms.

What This Means for You

If you’re a client—or someone thinking about becoming one—here’s what this means for you:

You’ll get more intention.

More creativity.

More presence.

More heart.

I’m in this for the long haul. But I’m not here for “just a shoot.” I want to create with people who value art. Who trust my process. Who know what a gift it is to freeze time—for themselves, for their kids, for their story.

To the Ones Who’ve Stayed

If you’ve followed me through this journey—if you’ve waited, supported, prayed, or just understood—I want you to know:

I’m still here. I’m not done. I’m just beginning again.

The Truth

I thought I was done.

But really—I just needed to rest.

And now, I’m ready.

To create. To connect. To come home to the thing that started it all.

I’m so glad I was wrong.

This is Me—Back to Heart

This is the version of me who knows the cost of burnout…

and chooses peace instead.

The version who believes fewer, deeper sessions will always matter more.

The version who’s come back—not to impress or perform—but to feel again.

Let’s Tell Your Story Next

I’m booking sessions for Fall 2025 with intention and limited availability.

If you’re ready for photos that feel like you, reach out here or visit my Portfolio page.