I am going to get real vulnerable for a minute about something that has been heavy on my heart. {LONG POST- but please read}

I want to start out by saying THANK YOU. Thank you for letting me capture your families, your babies, your basketball players, your football players, your soccer players, your dancers, your baseball & softball players, your cheerleaders, your High School seniors. I LOVE watching all of your children grow and change over the years. I am rooting for them! I silently celebrate their goals scored, throwing that strike, hitting that triple, catching that throw, receiving their HS diplomas. I have watched your children grow from tiny basketball players, tiny tap dancers into high school seniors walking that stage to receive their diploma. Thank you for trusting me to capture these memories for your family.

With that being said, while I am at the ball fields for hours upon hours and spending the entire weekend at the dance studio – that is also time away from my own children. Time I am missing with them. We all miss time with our children while we are at work. My photography is my work. However, when I get done taking all of those images my work isn’t done! I am spending hours upon hours in my office editing and sorting and loading those images online. And I DO NOT get paid for any of that work up front. I’ll repeat that again- I DO NOT GET PAID for all of those hours spent taking and editing sports & dance photos! I only make money when parents purchase prints and digitals.

Let me put into perspective a bit more for you….

I had 14 parents that had signed up for dance appointments this weekend that either canceled last minute or not show up!!!! Some of those parents booked multiple appointments!!! That is hours of my time! That’s hours away from my children!! That’s a time slot that another dancer could have booked.

How much is your time worth? Your time away from your own children. Your time spent doing your job?

I am so so thankful for each and every family that supports my business because this is how I support my family. This is how I help to pay for groceries, my kids’ extracurricular activities, their braces, our electric bill, our car payment. Just like every other working family in Transylvania County- and we all know life isnt cheap, especially with kids.

I am blown away by everyone who constantly stops me when they see me to tell me how much they appreciate and love my photos. I love capturing these memories for you. The BEST way you can show your love for my work is to buy prints and/or digitals.

So in the coming year there will be some changes on how my sports photography is done. I am not sure what those changes mean yet or if I will even continue to photograph kids’ sports and dance in Transylvania County.

For those who show up to their appointments, purchase prints and digitals and continue to show love to Kaelee Denise Photography- I am ever so grateful for you!

(photo of my own family)