Kimmy Howard Photography: The Blog

FIRST, I want to let everyone know that I am going to be booking my Spring Sessions NEXT Wednesday, Feb. 22nd, at 8:30 pm.  Please mark your calendars if you are looking to schedule with me.  I have pre-booked all my newborn sessions, which will take up most of my spring availability.  I have been in contact with some of these girls since, shortly after they found out they were having a baby.  I absolutley LOVE working with newborns and have slowly switched over to focusing more on them since these sessions are truly where my heart is.  I will also be having several times for child/family sessions that will be open for booking as well.  Since I value the relationships that I have built with my current clients, you will get to book a day a head of everyone else.  Honestly, I’m guessing most of my returning clients will fill up my times before any new clients can get a spot.  We’ll see, but I’m not offering many and have a long list of people who wanted a session for this spring.  I wish there was more time to do more sessions, but I am always first a mommy and wife and therefore will only be doing the amount of sessions that I feel is okay for our family.  Also, please note that I’m going ALL digital this spring.  I’m going to be having a baby and moving all in June. I feel that for this short and crazy time in my life, I’d better be able to serve my clients if I’m able to get them their disks quickly and not do as much designing and placing of large orders.  This is a temporary thing for my business…it won’t stay this way, but will work best for this spring!

Just in case you’ve missed the announcements, I’m pregnant with baby #3!!  We are due in June with a little girl & are beyond thrilled.  We cannot wait to meet her!  I will be taking maternity leave from June-August.  I’m so sorry to so many of you who are due with babies or wanting a milestone session done during this time!

I’ve been dreading writing this for a couple years now.  I knew the possibility was always there, but we never had a definite plan to move anywhere.  My husband is a surgeon who is finishing up his residency in June.  We had originally planned to stay in the area at least another year, but things recently fell through (for the good!).  However, we have just received an offer with a practice in Indianapolis and we are going to be taking the offer and moving in July.  I write this with a heavy heart.  We will truly miss our home in Columbus.  We have met friends some of the most amazing friends, been connected with an amazing church that we will be so sad to leave, and I have been blessed to work with the most WONDERFUL clients.  As I reflect on my time here, I look back and realize that Kimmy Howard Photography was truly just a little baby when I started in Columbus 3 years ago.  I had just started my official business and began working with a few groups of friends that I met when we moved here.  Things snowballed pretty quickly and I have had waiting lists for people to get a session with me the past couple years.  It has been such a blessing.  I have truly met some amazing people through my business; some of which have become my dearest friends.  I am so sad to leave all of the families that I have seen grow over the years.  I will forever cherish my time in Columbus, where my business went from a dream to a reality so quickly.  These years truly have shaped Kimmy Howard Photography into what it is today in so many ways.  I am so thankful for each and every family that allowed me in their lives.  I am blessed.

As sad as the move will be, our family is thrilled at our decision and are SO excited to move to Indy.  Indiana is where my husband and I met in college 10 years ago.  There is a part of me that will always be a “country” girl at heart because of my college experience.  Going back to Indiana is exciting for us because we feel it is exactly where we are supposed to be.  We’ve been praying about our “final” location for years now.  Our medical journey has been long & after 7 years, we are finally done!  I’m so proud of my husband and all he’s done for our family.  We’ve been praying the whole time that our decision would be clear.  The way all the circumstances worked out the way they have, has been the exact clarification that we needed.  All other doors suddenly closed, and this amazing opportunity for our family has opened up and we are thankful and excited to go.  Will it be hard to go?  Absolutely, but, at the same time, we are ready and excited.

Indy is really not that far away!  I’ve already have had a few clients say that they’re going to make the drive to Indy, which absolutely melts my heart.  I probably won’t have plans to visit Columbus this fall since my baby will still be pretty little, but at some point in the future, I plan to come back here to have a session day!  I don’t know when that will happen, but as long as the interest is there, I’d love to come back and see some of you!

Teaching other photographers has been a dream of mine since I started.  I’m a teacher at heart.  I used to teach preschool before I had kids and picked up photography.  Photography teaching/mentoring has more recently become closer to reality & I have received several emails from other photographers wanting to know if I’d teach them.  I am so honored that people value my work that much that they would like to study under me.  Honestly, it is such a sweet compliment.  I know that I’m not ready at this point to say yes, but after I’m settled in IN and when my baby is a little older, I will open up for 1 on 1 mentoring sessions.  This idea is just in the works, but I plan to make it a reality in the next year or so.  Since I won’t be mentoring anyone within 60 or so miles of my location, mentoring sessions will be open to Columbus photographers.  More details on this will be coming!!

I have soooooo many props!!  I love them, but have some that I’ve used enough that I’m ready to retire them and get something new I plan to have a local prop sale where I’ll be selling a lot of my hats/blankets/buckets from my home.  As long as the interest is here, I’ll make this happen.  More details will be announced on my facebook page.

I’ve received a LOT of emails from people knowing that I’m leaving on maternity leave asking for referrals to other photographers (and I’m excepting a lot more now that I’m leaving Columbus).  I’ve also received a number of emails from other photographers wanting me to refer my clients to them.  This is something that I’m still considering.  As I said before, I truly value the relationships that I’ve built with my clients and treat them as I would my friends.  I know a wonderful wedding/engagement photographer team that I will recommend in a heartbeat (The Jacksons Photography).  However, finding a photographer that does newborn work (and does it well) is harder to find in the area.  I know of a few photographers doing the same kind of work that I’m doing, but since I don’t personally know them & have never met them, I don’t feel comfortable sending you to them since I don’t know what kind of experience you’d be getting.  I know this may sound silly, but I want to stand by my referral and wouldn’t want you to have a negative experience from someone that I’ve recommended but don’t personally know.  IF I find someone that I’d like to refer all my clients to, I’ll be sure to post it on facebook, however, if you email and ask, this is the response you’ll get.  I hope you understand.

Again, thank you to my Columbus clients!  From the bottom of my heart, you have become friends and I cherish the time I was able to spend with your families.  Please keep in touch!!!  AND, do I have any followers from Indy?!!!  If so, I’d love to hear from you!  The Howards are so excited and looking forward to making Indy our new home and raising our little family in the country of the Indy suburbs.

Much love,

Kimmy