I cannot believe the time is finally here. I have decided to be a wedding photographer full time!!!! The past 4+ years I have been working as the full time web & print designer at Blue Ocean Ideas as well as running my photography business on nights and weekends. December 2010 I graduated from JMU with a BFA & BA and thought I would pursue graphic design as my lifetime career. Fortunately my business has been building and my passion has become my calling. I feel honored and blessed to be able to do what I love full time! I cannot wait to continue capturing beauty and love between amazing couples. Marriage is an incredible part of God's creation. Sharing my gift of capturing the start of their journey is indescribable. I decided 2015 was the year I was going to go full time after the Creative at Heart conference in January. At the conference I learned that I am the driving force behind a small business and I have the ability to do what I love for a living. Realizing this has been truly incredible and I feel energized for what's ahead! Thankfully, my two supervisors Greg & Brody were very supportive and encouraged me to follow my dream.
A note to Greg and Brody:
Thank you for the past 4 years. When I graduated college I was so excited to land a job with a cool brand management agency. I have learned a lot from both of you and have grown so much. Thank you for being encouraging, inspiring, challenging and fun. Blue Ocean Ideas is a unique place that will forever be in my heart. I loved our clients and all of the work we did for each of them. You both have had a huge impact on me and I will forever be grateful. Blue Ocean Ideas has a bright future and will help numerous business's thrive in their sweet spot. Thank you for hiring me and encouraging me to be the best I could be.
This transition process has been filled with tears of joy and sadness. It feels like a loss to leave Blue Ocean Ideas because it has been a huge part of what has shaped me, but I am beyond excited to be able to be a full time wedding photographer. I believe God put me on this earth to give people the joy of photographs and memories they can treasure for a lifetime. God is incredibly faithful and He deserves all the glory for my life and my business. I pray that He is glorified through my passion. I am continuing to learn that there is an incredible amount of joy when you walk in the places that God has called you. It is scary leaving a steady paycheck but I believe that God will provide!
I love these verses from Isaiah 55 about joy & peace:
"You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”
I want to give a shout out to my incredible husband. He has been my rock over the past 4 years. Kevin has been with me from the beginning of my business and has become my partner in so many other ways. Traveling and shooting together has become a beautiful part of our marriage and I simply could not do it without him. Thank you for your encouragement and for supporting me as I worked almost every day and night the past few years. I love you and cannot wait to continue shooting with you!
One last thing!! In the photography world the phrase "community over competition" has become our mantra. Instead of feeling like we are all in competition with each other we chose to encourage and spur one another on. It is a beautiful picture of community and (in my opinion) is the best way to relate to other people in your specific industry. My girls Natalie Franke, Katelyn James, Mary Marantz, and Amanda Hedgepeth continue to paint the atmosphere in the wedding world with a spirit of unity and I am blessed to know them!
I can't contain my excitement and am so thankful!! I am in the process of rebranding so look out for Anna Grace Photography's updated & fresh look this fall! I wanted to share a few images below that are close to my heart including my family at Blue Ocean Ideas, one of my favorite images that captures my love for wedding photography, and a few quotes/verses that have inspired me. Cheers to the past 4 years and to the many amazing years ahead!
And a HUGE thank you to my amazing clients who have each become friends. You all are my biggest fans and I am so thankful for each of you. Here are just a few of my amazing clients. Thank you for letting me capture the love in your life and for sharing my images with your world on Facebook!
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13
Hooray!! Thanks for reading!