Happy Thanksgiving, ECP Families!  I hope you're able to have a carefree day surrounded by nothing but love. 

When I slowed my pace and finally sat down to reach out to you today, I wasn't sure what to say, exactly, but I was overcome by gratitude for everyone and everything in my life - including you, obviously. So I decided to tell you about some of my favorite things, and why I'm grateful for them. 

My Favorite Things

Christmas Sessions - whether you celebrate or not, and whether you believe or not, these tear-jerking sessions, with children looking wide-eyed into Santa’s eyes, bring me back to a warm, fuzzy, simpler time when I was a little girl and even though my anxieties were huge,  my parents filled me with all their love and eased all of my burdens. 

My Class - Many of you know I left teaching years ago because this career was calling me, and so were clients!   My own children needed me at home after school, not staying late to plan lessons, and grade papers, and so I created a life where I could plan my photography sessions around my children’s needs and to having been there for them all these years has meant the world to me (and, hopefully, to them!).  

In an interesting twist of fate, the photography teacher at Abby’s high school needed some time off, and I have been filling in for her.   I am loving having the chance to share what I know and love with so many students.  This won’t impact my availability to my clients - I am a full service, low volume photographer, which is why we personally speak with every potential client before booking - to make sure we’re a match. 

Which brings me to - My Team - Individual attention and having every client feel like part of my family is very important to me.  They balance all of the behind-the-scenes running of the business (and shoe tying and boogie wiping at preschools) so I am free focus on my art and client relationships. 

This morning, one of them reached out to wish all of us a Happy Thanksgiving, a they chimed in with gratitude for each other.  We’re not just grateful for the work, or our clients, I think we’re grateful for one another.  How lucky am I?

New Inspirations - With my studio empty several days a week, I needed to think outside the box to fill it, and find ways to keep ECP active, and my team working, even when I’m not there.  So this year we offered Do It Yourself Pop-Up photos with your camera and my set-ups.  What I love most about this is that it made pretty backdrops available to people who may not yet have the budget for my work.

Newborns - There is something I’d call sacred about the time I get to spend in studio with brand new families and their brand new humans. The level of trust they place in me stops me in my tracks every single time, and there is no higher honor.  

Preschools - Being outside in the fall, surrounded by sweet little preschoolers, my team, and their dedicated teachers feeds my spirit! The challenge of getting them to shine from the inside out, and to capture their REAL essence and not a fake smile in under 90 seconds is a blast for me and my team, who keep them safe, comfortable and giggling. Here we are in action - who's having the most fun?

My Dogs -  I’m a foster fail. Again. My most recent foster puppy, Penelope Louise, was adopted after about 3 months with us.  Although her adopters were PERFECT, Abby and I grieved HARD.  Like, exponentially harder than when I usually release a foster to its forever home.  I said, “If it’s meant to be, she’ll be back home with us.”  Last week, her adoption fell through in a rare fluke, and she’s ours now, curled up next to me and Louie as I type this. 

My Home -  It's tiny, but it's filled with creativity, love, joy dogs and music.  There are canvases and albums set safely aside and waiting to be delivered. Lesson plans (that I've changed 12 times) cover the coffee table in front of me. It's warm and bright and cozy today, with the bigs home from college and all 3 kids still asleep after a night of hanging out and doing nothing special, which made it soooo special! 

YOU - People who value photography as art, see the difference between my photos and other photographers. People who value ME - Elise, the human being. People who know that the love is in the details and want to work with me because I serve you wholeheartedly and genuinely care about your satisfaction.  Actually, I don’t want you to be satisfied - - I want you to be thrilled.  Every. Single. Time. We work together. It has been my highest honor to watch your babies grow up through the years. 

 My family, friends and children - Madeline’s a senior at TCNJ, who is studying Middle School Language Arts in the Special Ed Master’s Degree program.  In addition to student teaching, she just had a blast playing Margaret in the musical Carrie, and was cast as Carmen in Curtains.  She’s also having a great time gathering with her love and her friends, substitute teaching at Holdrum Middle School in our town (- her dream is to teach there!!) and babysitting.  Madeline has a heart of gold and shines at everything she does. I’m grateful for her kind heart, work ethic and the opportunities life is offering her. 

Ryan, my middle guy is a sophomore at TCNJ whose dream is to become a basketball coach.  (I believe in him - he has a gift for communicating with people, lifting them up, AND his brain around sports strategy is so good it’s creepy.). He’s studying secondary ED - History - and putting in thankless grunt work as the assistant to the college’s basketball coach.  I’m grateful for his empathy, brilliance, and the opportunities life is offering him. 

Abby, my youngest, is a sophomore at the high school where I’m currently teaching!  She was just on a really cute episode of PVTV.  She’s not sure what she wants to do when she’s grown yet.  She loves art, used to dream about running a restaurant called Olives, sings her heart out, and loves all things makeup and fashion. I am cherishing my time at home with the last one to leave the nest. She has a wonderful variety of pink-drink-drinking friends, and will be auditioning for High School Musical next week! I’m grateful for her voice, that fills our home with music while the “bigs” are away at school, I’m grateful for her health, her ability to speak up to unkindness, and the opportunities this life is offering her. 

Thank you for being part of my life, today and every day!

With love, light and gratitude,

Elise 

What are you grateful for today?