More About Me: Let Me Be Raw

More About Me: Let Me Be Raw

Most people know me as the woman behind the camera, but photography is only one part of my life. So, let me be a little raw and introduce you to the person behind Kimberly Jean Photography.

I am a wife, a mother of two boys, a college student, and a business owner. Most days, I am balancing school assignments, photography sessions, editing galleries, household responsibilities, and a sports schedule that always seems to keep us running in different directions.

My boys are into all the sports, which means our lives are filled with practices, games, uniforms, equipment, snacks, and plenty of time spent driving from one place to another. It can be exhausting, but I know this busy season will not last forever. One day, I will miss seeing their cleats by the door and checking the calendar to figure out where everyone needs to be.

Learning to Balance a Life That Is Not Always My Own

One of the hardest parts of owning a photography business is that my schedule is not always my own. My work depends on other people’s schedules, when they are available, the weather, lighting, sports, school activities, and everything else that comes with photographing busy families.

For years, I tried to make myself available whenever someone wanted to book. If a client needed a particular evening or weekend, I did everything I could to make it work. Unfortunately, that sometimes meant missing moments with my own family so I could preserve memories for someone else’s.

There were times when I missed games, family plans, and time at home because I felt like I could not afford to turn down a session. When you are self-employed, saying no to a booking also means saying no to income. That can be a difficult decision when you have a family, bills, and a business to support.

I still miss things occasionally because the truth is that sometimes I cannot afford to miss a session. That is part of the reality of owning a small business. However, I quickly realized that money was not the only thing I was losing.

I was losing time, and time is something I can never earn back.

My boys will not always be this age. They will not always need me in the stands, in the car, or waiting at home after practice. There will always be another opportunity to work, but I will not get another chance to experience this particular season of their lives.

That realization changed the way I schedule my photography sessions.

Creating Limits for Myself and My Business

Today, I work with more intentional limits. My available photography dates are planned around my children’s sports schedules, school responsibilities, family time, and the occasional day that I allow myself to rest.

Taking an off day does not always come naturally to me. There is always another gallery to edit, another email to answer, another blog to write, or another task waiting in my business. But I have learned that rest is not wasted time. I need space to breathe so I can continue showing up for my family, my clients, my education, and myself.

My bank account may look different now that I do not accept every available session. I may not book as many evenings or weekends as I once did, but I get to be present for more of my family’s life.

That is worth more to me.

This does mean my photography schedule may be limited, especially during busy sports seasons. It is not because I do not want to work with you or because your session is not important to me. It is because I am learning to protect the life happening on the other side of my camera too.

I want to create beautiful memories for my clients, but I also want to be present while my own family is creating theirs.

Balancing School, Business, and Motherhood

Going back to school while raising a family and operating a photography business has not been easy. There are nights when I am editing photos after everyone goes to bed and mornings when I am completing schoolwork before the rest of the house wakes up.

Sometimes I feel like I am handling everything well. Other times, I feel like I am simply trying to keep up.

I do not always have a perfect balance because, honestly, I am not sure perfect balance exists. Some weeks, my business requires more of me. Other weeks, my family or schoolwork needs my full attention. I have learned to adjust, give myself grace, and keep moving forward.

Photography is not simply a job that I fit into my schedule. It is something I have built over many years, and it has grown alongside me. My business has been there through different chapters of motherhood, marriage, personal growth, and returning to college.

How Motherhood Shapes My Photography

Being a mother has shaped the way I photograph families. I understand that children may not sit still, smile on command, or behave exactly how their parents hoped they would. I understand the stress of choosing clothes, getting everyone ready, arriving on time, and hoping the session goes well.

That is why I want your photography session to feel comfortable and genuine. I am not expecting your family to be perfect because mine is not perfect either. Real families laugh, get distracted, need breaks, and occasionally arrive with someone already unhappy.

Those imperfect moments are often where the most meaningful photographs begin.

I know how quickly children change because I am watching it happen in my own home. The little details that seem ordinary today will someday become the things we miss most. That is one of the reasons photography means so much to me.

The Real Person Behind the Camera

Behind every session is a woman who is trying to build a future, raise good humans, support her husband, finish her degree, and create a business she is proud of.

I am busy, occasionally overwhelmed, always learning, and deeply grateful that families continue trusting me with their memories.

So, that is a little more about me. The real me behind the camera.

I am a wife. I am a mother of two sports-loving boys. I am a college student. I am a photographer and a business owner. I am still growing, learning, and figuring things out as I go.

My life may not always look perfectly organized behind the scenes. My availability may be more limited than it used to be, and my bank account may look a little different because of it. But I get to be there for more practices, more games, more family nights, and more of the moments that matter.

For me, that is the kind of success I want to build.