How I Feel About October
I see your punny fall posts, your pumpkin spice everything, your plaid scarves and leather booties. I smell the apple pie candles and I’m totally hungry for stuffing and sweet potato casserole too. But, it’s October.
Instead of making s’mores with my family, I’ll be spending my weekend capturing beautiful portraits for yours. Instead of decorating my porch for Halloween, I’ll be working late nights in my office making sure my dozens and dozens of clients are happy.
You see, it’s October. You love this month. The trees are turning those gorgeous jewel-toned colors and the weather is finally giving us relief from the sweltering September heat. Your kids have started a new year of school - they’re growing up so fast. Your wedding is just days away. You always envisioned a beautiful October celebration. I love this month too. I love spending it with you.
But if we’re being honest…
… my phone buzzes constantly with former clients who desperately need me to squeeze them in for updated photos because all of a sudden the calendar changed like the trees are and they’re freaking out realizing they haven’t slowed down to capture the amazing things that happened this year. I got you!!
… I have couples waiting for me to edit thousands and thousands of their wedding photos so that they can enjoy them, share them with their families and relive their day.
… my personal Facebook messanger goes off 30 times a day with complete strangers asking, “How much for one pic of my family this Saturday at 2 PM? Got your name from Karen.”. Uhm, what??
… My inbox is also overflowing with moms who have never worked with me before but saw my name on Facebook and “just need one photo” for their holiday cards and they’re only available on a Saturday, just a few days from now, at a time when it’s practically already dark. Oh, and their kids are “not a fan of photos”.
… I have even more couples who are anxious, nervous and excited for me to play a role in their upcoming wedding. Which means gear packing, emails, prep, timelines, lots of time in the car away from my family and a lot of stress. Not to mention the 14+ hour work days with 25,000+ steps.
Ah, October.
The impending holiday season combined with the gorgeousness of nature in the fall brings out the total panic (or cluelessness) in people everywhere. Please don’t be offended when your photographer says they just don’t have time in their schedule for you. We’re not lying!! Those coveted October session dates have been spoken for since spring. Asking for just one photo is not only a disservice to your gorgeous family but also basically impossible - that’s just not how this works.
So, while you’re absolutely loving month, be nice to your photographer and photographer friends! We love this time of year too and we love you. But truthfully, most of us are barely keeping our heads above water. If you’re lucky enough to see your photographer this time of year, give them some grace (and maybe a delightful PSL or your favorite three wick fall scented candle).
To everyone else… we’ll see you in January.
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