six years as a newborn photographer in Arizona

Six Years as a Newborn Photographer in Arizona

The last six years as a Newborn Photographer in Arizona have been filled with so many emotions. The only thing I’ve ever done that has been harder than starting my own business has been being a mom, which I feel like says a lot.

“It’s not hard, it’s time consuming.”
That’s what my dad always told me.

It’s absolutely the truth though. If you’ve never started your own business, you probably can imagine but not quite understand how difficult it really is. I remember when I first decided I was going to be a photographer, I had a fire under me and I was gunning for it. But, to be honest, that fire can dull pretty fast when you realize how much work it really is. And I’m not even talking about the actual job of shooting and editing, that’s the easiest part. It’s the time management, and technical/business side behind it all.

Within the first year I had to figure out how to build a client base, build a website from scratch, learn how to use my camera, learn photoshop, and that’s just a smidge of it on top of being a mom to very young kids. My oldest was two years old, and my daughter was a few months old. So really it was like being a stay at home mom, AND running a business. It’s so tough. Now that my kids are older and in school, I will always feel for the business owners out there who have babies at home.

But, I feel like all of that shaped me (and my business) into the Newborn Photographer in Arizona that I am now! That hustle, and time management skill, really helped channel my business. With all that being said, I have some really exciting news for this new year. It’s taken me a long time to come to these decisions, because I really love what I do as a Newborn Photographer in Arizona, but I also really love being a mom to my growing kids, and need to be present for them and all of their new adventures.

New Changes for 2022.

Family + Maternity. Starting immediately there will only be one package for family and maternity sessions. Part of this is because I really want to offer the full experience when it comes to outdoor sessions. I don’t want to feel like we need to rush through the session, and this new model gives us plenty of time to adventure-ize throughout the session and really soak it all up. Another reason I came to this decision was because of my outdoor availability; I’m only offering Tuesdays and every other Sunday for outdoor sessions. With my kids’ strenuous sports schedules I’m very limited on my availability outdoors!

As of recently I decided to start offering in studio maternity and family as well, which I’m really excited about! It’s such a nice change of pace, and really allows me to be creative again!

These are going to be perfect for the summer months as well, because let’s be honest, no one wants to go outside in the heat anyway! I have a new love for studio maternity and I’m just really excited for this new challenge!

Newborns. Another new change for Shannon Burke Photography is our new package for newborn sessions! It’s called the Pure + Simple package. This is only for those looking for strictly lifestyle images. There will be no props, no studio newborn posing, just simple lifestyle portraiture. 

This is great if you want a more natural approach to your newborn session, or even as an alternative to a hospital fresh 48.

These seem like such small changes, but erasing five different packages and adding one more really took a lot for me to do. I always want to be giving 110% during my sessions, and this is really allowing me to open my schedule more and really give it my all in my sessions.

If you’re a client and ready to set up your session with us – feel free to take a look at our package list and contact us!

If you’re searching for a Newborn Photographer in Arizona, please contact me to schedule your session today. All newborn sessions take place at my commercial studio located in North Phoenix (85027). I have a variety of props, all of which are available to use in your session.