Updated schedule for 2016!

Hello Loves!
       Fall is upon us! (Finally!) The air is crisp, the trees are showing off all their best colors, and the world is bathed in glorious golden light. Just like the changing of the leaves, autumn has always felt like an opportunity for a fresh start. It seems like all I've done is throw changes at you this year, but I promise it only means good things. Imagination Photography is growing by leaps and bounds in 2015, and I continue to me amazed and humbled by the love and support you've all shown for my art. 
          Scheduling in 2015 has not been an easy thing. The number of clients and inquiries has greatly increased this year, and I have struggled to fit everyone into the calendar. Wait time for a session has stretched out as far as 3-4 months in advance. That's unreal! I want to thank you all so much for your patience and understanding through it all!
         When it comes to scheduling portrait sessions, there are many factors I have to work around. Things like lighting, weather, and location are a big deal in determining session availability. I also have to take into account the factor of childcare. I cannot schedule a session unless I know I will have someone to look after my son. This is extremely difficult to do during the week. There have been far too many moments when I've panicked to find a babysitter at the last moment. In addition to that stress, trying to keep up with image processing between sessions has been a big stress, as well as trying to make time for my family (which I have miserably failed at). Something MUST change.
          After much thought and examination of all the options, I've decided to increase the number of sessions on Saturdays and cutting back to only 1-2 sessions during weekdays. (Days for weekday sessions will vary.) Because I will be doing the maximum number of sessions possible in one day, there are a few other points to note:

Locations
          Shooting locations for Saturday sessions will have to be limited to the Grove Oak/Geraldine area. In order to fit everyone in, I won't be able to spend hours driving from location to location. There are tons of great places in this area that make for amazing images, especially if you love the natural or country look. Prefer something more urban? We even got a couple of spots perfect for that too! 
         If you have your heart set on a location a little farther away (there are so many that I love to use!), don't worry. Locations such as Ft. Payne, Collinsville, Guntersville, and Scottsboro will still be available for weekday sessions only.

Session Time
          So many sessions back-to-back also means that all sessions will have a strict time limit of one hour. If you arrive later than your scheduled time, that is less time that we have to photograph you. For example, if your session is scheduled for 11 a.m. and you don't arrive until 11:30, then we will only have 30 minutes to capture all your images. I totally understand sometimes things come up (especially with little ones), but it's vital to be as on time as possible so that we can capture everything that we want. Don't ever think that you are arriving too early! I'm very much an early kind of person, so I'm usually always there before scheduled time.

The Perks
          This new schedule will provide some great perks for all of us! 

• Shorter Processing Time — By not shooting every day, I will be able to process images even faster. As things are now, I almost never get to have images ready sooner than 1-2 weeks. I would love to be able to reduce that time to just a few days!
• More Saturday availability — Most all my clients tell me they prefer Saturday sessions. In the past, those could be hard to come by because they filled up so quickly. In 2016, they will be much easier to get!
• Family time — Ok, this one is just for me, but it's also the most important reason for this change. My family has been put second for far too long. The time I'm not out shooting sessions, I spend in front of my computer either processing images or doing one of the other million tasks involved in running your own business. My son spends more time in his play pin than he does in my lap and I refuse to let that go on any longer than it already has. (You parents out there will understand that. They're only little once.) Everyone needs to devote time to their families, including photographers.

These two mean the whole world to me.
Image captured by Alecia Clark Photography, processed by Imagination Photography.

          I could never thank you all enough for allowing me to do what I do. Because of you, I'm able to do a job I love instead of being forced to do one I don't. I'm proud to say that the Imagination Photography calendar is completely booked up for the rest of 2015! This new schedule will be effective for all sessions after January 1, 2016.

                                   Happy Fall Y'all!!