When DC photographer Mary Catherine Wickman posted on instagram about her fears around being 35 and a family photographer without kids, her followers rallied around her in support, encouragement, and their own stories of relatability. In this episode, we talk about that caption - why she shared it, what happened, and what she (and all of us) can learn from it.

Read the post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3AsIgNOcUj/

We also touch on:

• The way our vulnerability helps us connect in deeper ways with out clients and other photographers
• The “age ceiling” in family photography and how we’re finding it’s a complete myth
• The sacrifices of going from part time to full time
• What it’s like to look around at what you’ve built and say ‘this is good.’
• The value in participating in non-photography-related creative mediums

// CONNECT //

Mary Catherine Wickman : www.marycatherinephotography.com | Instagram: @marycatherinephoto

Leah O'Connell:

Website: https://www.lofirefly.com

Instagram: @lofirefly.com

The Firefly Letters : https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter

The Big picture workbook: https://lofirefly.com/bigpicture

What do you do when you're being hired to make family photos, but you don't feel like picking up a camera? When you don't feel inspired by making photos of your own family? When you feel tired or bored with life but you're preaching about joy in little moments and soaking up the precious people you love? The natural burnout of parenthood and relationship has a unique way of seeping into our work as family photographers because the two are so closely intertwined.

In this episode, I’m going to share 3 things I practice to get re-inspired by my own life - and they have nothing to do with taking pictures.

Ironically, they often lead to an ignited passion for photographing again and a realignment in my personal life with my contentment, delight, and art that spills over into my work.

+ ((17:40)) 6 practical experiments *with* your camera that you can try to introduce play and get awake to your love for photographer again.

// Links and sources mentioned //

Wildly Creative Life Podcast // When you don’t feel like creating anything:

Wildly Creative Life Podcast // Can’t find any motivation: Try this instead

Book Rec: Do less: A revolutionary approach to managing time and energy for ambitious women

Rachel Larsen Weaver’s self portrait guide

Artifact uprising: 15% off orders with code FIREFLYPHOTO15

QT Albums: 20% off first order with code FUEL20

The big picture workbook: https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture

Todays episode features a must-listen conversation for every family photographer! Morgan Miles is my guest and not only is she an incredibly talented family photographer, she is a full time marketing professor and studies consumer psychology at San Diego State University where she’s been teaching for over a decade. She has incredible insight into the growing trends of marketing in general and how it uniquely applies - at one point she brings up how she can’t think of another career that has the same marketing challenges as family photographers, and one of the reasons for that is privacy.

Topics we touch on:

• Predictions about the future of marketing with client images
• How AI plays a role in safety concerns
• The shift with clients requesting privacy on social media
• Naming your own values and boundaries around sharing personal work and your own family online as part of your marketing
• Managing consent and client expectations or request for privacy
• Safety tips for respecting our clients and kids
• Ideas for sharing personal work if social media isn’t something you want to engage in at all
• Defining your personal and brand voice with authenticity
• The power of education to accelerate your growth

// NOTES + LINKS REFERENCED //

Blog post - "Do I need instagram for my photography business?"

Click photo mini classes -

Pew Research Article on privacy:

SAS survey:

Enzuzo article on privacy statistics

Morgan’s bio:

Morgan is a mom to two, a marketing professor, and a lifestyle family photographer based in sunny San Diego, CA. She studied art and photography in college but didn't pick up a camera again until she was pregnant with her first child and has now been in business for four years. She is fascinated by the complexity of the parenthood journey and seeks to capture it in a way that feels both beautiful and authentic.

// Connect with Morgan //

• Website: https://www.morganmilesstudio.com
• INstagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganmilesstudio/

// Connect with Leah //

• The Firefly Letters - https://www.lofirefly.com/newsletter
• Big picture workbook (free) : https://fireflyphotography.myflodesk.com/bigpicture
• Website: https://www.lofirefly.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fireflyphoto_leah/
• Mentoring: https://www.lofirefly.com/education
• Private FB group for family photographers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/familyphotogs.behindthescenes/