A Balancing Act: The Struggle of Working Towards a Work/Life Balance
Family and Newborn Photography in Memphis Tennessee by Caitlin Ross Photography
Balancing Work and Life as a Photographer and Parent
Maintaining a work-life balance is a challenge every working parent faces, and as a Memphis photographer, small business owner, and mom with a day job, I'm no different. The struggle to juggle my photography business, day job, and family life—especially during busy seasons—can feel overwhelming. Some days, it seems like I'll never get through my to-do list, and as a perfectionist, that’s hard to accept.
I don’t believe anyone ever achieves a perfect balance between work, life, and family obligations. Instead, we’re all striving to find an equilibrium, where some days, work might demand 70% of our time, leaving less for family. As the busiest season approaches for me as a Memphis family photographer, I've been focusing on strategies to maintain balance, ensuring neither my work nor my family suffers. Here are some tips that have been helping me, and I hope they can help my fellow working moms too!
A Little About Me
What many of my photography clients don’t know is that I'm not just a Memphis photographer and mom—I’m also a securities-registered broker and Director of Operations for a small financial firm in Memphis, where I've worked for over a decade. As a new business owner, I’ve spent the past year feeling that if I turned away any photography clients or said no to any job, my business would stop growing, or worse, disappear. It’s been overwhelming, and I never want to burn out because photography fuels me. It allows me to be a better wife, mom, and friend. With fall approaching—the busiest time of year for both my photography business and my day job—I’ve been working on a plan to stay as balanced as possible, ensuring I can still show up for my family.
My Tips for Working Towards Balance
Stick to a Schedule and Learn to Say “No”
Whether it’s “No, I cannot stay late to help with that work project” or it’s “No, I cannot come to your dinner party,” saying no to the people or things that will affect something that is already on your agenda, is vital to keeping balance.
As a people pleaser, saying no is difficult for me, whether it be to a friend or for work, I want to show up for everyone all the time.. But with two jobs and a family that relies on me that I will always show up for, I’m learning (it’s a work in progress) that I have to say no sometimes and stick to what I have already planned out for the week/month.
Outsource and Embrace Your Village
You can’t do it all, and it’s time to stop trying. I’ve been notorious for wanting everything done exactly as I want it, but I’m learning to let my husband handle things like laundry, cooking, and lunches. We’ve also embraced services like Instacart and Uber Eats. If you need to hire a housekeeper or someone for yard work, do it! Outsourcing tasks that drain you will give you more time to enjoy what you love.
Stop Multitasking and Be Present
When you learn to outsource and stick to a schedule, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and more intentional about what you’re doing. When you’re with your family, be with your family. Be present in the moment, giving 100% of your attention to the task or person in front of you. It will leave both you and them feeling better about the interaction.
** Pro Tip: do you ever get distracted by the 100 emails you get from your child(ten)’s school(s) in the middle of working on something? Create an email address for all the children in your family and give access to anyone who helps with your kids (your spouse, your kids, nannies, grandparents). it’s been a game changer for me :)
Take Time for Yourself
Prioritize self-care, even on the busiest days. For me, running or working out every single day is essential. Being intentional about this time—whether it’s feeling the water hit your skin in the shower or focusing on how it relaxes your muscles—can be a game-changer for rejuvenating your mind and body. If, like me, exercise is your thing, Higher Memphis is a fantastic local gym with lots of options.
Prioritize Good Sleep
Set a bedtime and try to stick to it. Put your phone on "Do Not Disturb" and charge it in another room. Meditate before bed, or try reading a book instead of scrolling on a screen. Staying up late or waking up too early drains your energy for both work and family. Symmetry Live is a great resource for managing stress and overcoming anxiety.
I hope these tips help you work towards a balanced life. While we may never achieve a perfect 50/50 balance, keeping those scales from tipping too much is key to avoiding burnout.
A Note for Families Who Want to Work with Me
For those who have reached out with concerns about my limited availability for the remainder of 2024, please know that I genuinely wish I could capture every family. I would love to have unlimited time to work with each of you. However, what many don’t realize is that a one-hour session requires countless hours of work behind the scenes—the session itself is the least time consuming step in the process to delivering that beautiful gallery to you! To ensure every family gets the experience they deserve, I limit myself to 4-5 sessions per month. Once those slots are filled, I close my availability for that month.
When you receive a booking calendar from me (except for fine art portrait pop-ups), please note that while it might seem like there are several dates available, the calendar only reflects the days I’m open to taking photos, not my overall availability. Once 4-5 sessions are booked, the remaining days will also close.
If you're hoping to book a family or newborn session in Memphis with me, I strongly encourage you to do so early. I have a few fall mini-sessions left, space for a couple of newborn sessions this year, and 1-2 full family sessions in December.
Please remember, I’m a mom and wife first and a photographer with a day job second. If you see no openings on my calendar, kindly let me know you're interested in booking, and I’ll reach out if anything opens up. If nothing opens up and you need photos for 2024, I’m happy to refer you to one of the many talented photographers I know for this year.
You’ve got this, Momma!
Reflections on My First Year as a Photographer
Lifestyle Family Photography in Memphis Tennessee by Caitlin Ross Photography
This past week marked the first birthday of my photography business. One full year since I took the gigantic leap of faith to pursue a career as a natural light photographer in Memphis—WOW! I truly cannot believe that I am here. It all seems surreal. What started as a brand new hobby, wanting to learn something new and take photos of my children, has turned into an incredibly rewarding business that I am incredibly passionate about. I feel I have stumbled into where I am truly meant to be—I have found my calling. This past year has been life-changing for me and my family.
As I sit here with my cup of coffee reflecting on the past year, I am filled with immense gratitude for the people who have supported and helped me, but also for myself and all the hard work and dedication I have put into this business. Putting myself out there and risking being rejected or not being good enough has held me back in many aspects of my life, and I am so grateful that I decided to push through the fear and stop playing small.
Image by Katherine Cagle. Taken at the Mastermind Retreat in Brooklyn, NY
The Lead-Up: First Half of 2023
I purchased my camera at the beginning of 2023 and spent the first several months learning on my own. I studied books on photography and natural light, experimented on my own children, watched YouTube tutorials (where I eventually found my mentor, Elena S. Blair—more on that later), and took an amazing course on mastering manual mode from E-Squared Photography. I wasn't looking to take this hobby anywhere other than maybe taking some photos of friends every now and then.
July 2023
After months of self-studying and capturing my own family, I had enough inquiries from friends and acquaintances asking if I would ever offer sessions for black-and-white portraits. On a whim, I decided to create a Calendly link and just blast it on my social media.. I was absolutely terrified and wondered what in the world I was thinking. But with my camera in hand, I fought through the fear and scheduled, shot, and delivered 15 beautiful black-and-white fine art portraits that first month. I was hooked. I LOVED IT. I loved capturing the personalities of children in their perfect little imperfect ways. I loved interacting with them and being able to freeze time in a beautiful photo for their parents. I wasn’t sure where it would take me, but I decided to keep it going and keep offering a couple of days per month for black-and-white portraits.
August 2023
I continued doing fine art portraits and never stopped, but I also agreed to take some outdoor family sessions for a few families in August. I was nervous, but I knew if it was anything like the personality portraits, I would fall in love with it too. Spoiler alert: I was instantly obsessed! It was more difficult, but incredibly rewarding. Being able to give a mom (or parent) keepsakes of memories of connecting with his/her family meant everything to me.
Getting Down to Business
After adding family sessions to my repertoire, I knew this was no longer going to be just a little hobby I did on the side. I began obsessing over posing, improving my skills, and creating meaningful images that would be cherished for a lifetime. I started watching Elena S. Blair videos on YouTube. She was amazing. I mean, really, I wanted to be just like her, but with my own creative style. She has this way of putting the families she’s shooting at ease and guiding them into poses that create real, authentic, connected, MEANINGFUL interactions. I had found a photographer who got me and what I wanted to capture- the messy, the real, the chaotic, the imperfectly perfect. Screw perfection! Embracing the true soul of a person and their family is what it is all about, and she made me realize I could be successful and still hold true to this value for my business.
Fall got crazy busy, and by the end of November, I had done over 85 sessions between fine art portraits, newborn sessions, and family sessions. It became a little more difficult to try to take it all on by myself while working a full-time job at FlightPlan Financial, where I am the Director of Operations, raising two small children, trying to be a good wife, and keeping up my endurance training—yes, I am one of those hardcore work out, running feens! It was becoming too much. I craved being more present with my children and husband but knew if I took a step back so early in my new business, I would be forgotten.
Joining a Mentorship Program- December 2023
December 2023: with what felt like the weight of the entire world on my shoulders, I saw Elena Blair’s Instagram post that she was taking applicants to her Mastermind Program.
The Elena S. Blair Mastermind Program is a 6-month group mentoring/coaching program for photographers to level up their photography both creatively and on the business side. Photographers wanting to join must first apply (with short personal essay-type questions—big deterrent for someone like me who loved to play small and had a massive case of imposter syndrome). If your application is approved, you have a Zoom interview with Elena to see if you’re a good fit for her program.
The post popped up on my Instagram one evening after I had stayed up working incredibly late after the kids' bedtimes, yet again. I was just about to go to bed when I saw the post. I don’t know if I would have had the courage to even apply if I hadn’t been so exhausted in that moment, but I did. THANKFULLY. My application was accepted, and I got an interview with Elena. I was totally geeking out. How could I even pretend that I was good enough to learn IRL from such an amazing artist?
The investment wasn’t exactly small to join the program, but I knew it was a great opportunity and might be even more beneficial to me since I had no real systems to my business and was taking on way too much trying to manually do everything myself and keep the rest of my life on track. I decided to make the investment into myself and my business, and WHEW!! I am so glad I did. The investment paid back tenfold.
The community, the knowledge, the creativity, the resources—all have been invaluable.
Below are some photos from the retreat at the conclusion of the program.
Taking on Schools- April 2024
In April 2024, with some encouragement from my mastermind program mentors, like Caeli Richter, and a bunch of knowledge from Elena and her community and a lot of hard work, I shot my first school in Memphis. Again, LOVED IT. I will be sharing more about this process in a separate blog post leading up to the next two schools I am shooting in the early fall, but I will say receiving the feedback from the parents of that first school has been so rewarding for me and renewed my purpose on why I love doing what I am doing and how I know I am doing exactly what I should be doing. I received messages like, “Thank you for capturing our daughter in the most beautiful way. We love that her personality shines through each picture. You are amazing and we pray you continue to be blessed and stay blessed!”
June 2024 to Present
I completed the mastermind program in June. I had spent 6 months learning from some of the best photographers in the industry. I had gotten systems in place in my business to have it run like a well-oiled machine while also improving the experience for my clients. I had created my website. I had started shooting schools and revamped my fine art personality portraits. I have learned so much about photography, running a business, and myself in the last 6 months. I ended June at the mastermind retreat in Brooklyn with over 70 amazing other photographers. I started July doing a branding session for my incredibly inspiring sister-in-law, who has started a business, Boujee Nurse, with two offices in Denver.
Photographers from past and present cohorts came together in Brooklyn at the 2024 Elena S Blair Mastermind Retreat in Brooklyn, NY.
Looking to the Future
I have scheduled two schools for this fall. I am going to begin offering Fresh 48 sessions after my children go back to school. I will continue taking family and newborn sessions and keep doing my fine art personality portraits as well. I plan to invest in lighting and start taking my indoor photos to a new level. I also have plans to begin the journey into family films and hope to offer this within the next 18 months after completing a course from the absolutely incredible Becca Jean.
Conclusion
I am learning. I am growing. This business has been a wild, exciting ride for me— full of highs and lows. While I am still in the early staged when the hours are long and the hustle is huge, I am now at a place where I can allow the systems I put in place to do their job and give me back at least some time with my family while providing a better experience for my clients. This journey is nothing I expected it to be and everything I have always wanted. I learn more about myself and running a business every single day, and I am incredibly grateful that I have ended up on this journey. I am looking so forward to seeing where the next year takes Caitlin Ross Photography.
Lifestyle Photography: Capturing the Fleeting Moments
Lifestyle Family Photography in Memphis Tennessee by Caitlin Ross Photography
As a family photographer and a mother myself, I understand the profound importance of capturing the fleeting moments in our children’s lives. It’s incredible how quickly time passes—one minute, they’re taking their first steps, and the next, they’re running off to school, driving cars, and then off to college. This is why lifestyle family photography is so essential. Lifestyle photography allows us to freeze these precious moments in time, preserving the innocence of a young child — or the face of a now teenager who just yesterday had baby teeth and dimpled fingers. For me, it is all about capturing the joy and love between your family at every stage.
Embracing the Emotional Journey of Parenthood
Parenthood is an emotional journey filled with joy, laughter, challenges, and love. It’s a journey that deserves to be remembered, not just through our memories but also through beautiful, candid photographs. Lifestyle family photography focuses on capturing these raw, authentic moments—the messy, the beautiful, the chaotic and everything in between. It’s about documenting the genuine emotions and connections that define your family.
The Beauty of Everyday Moments
Life with babies, toddlers, and any aged child is filled with activities, chaos and big emotions. My style of photography is all about capturing the everyday moments that make your family unique— from the way your toddler’s face lights up with laughter during playtime, the way a baby snuggles into momma’s chest to feel safe, the little expressions that define each child’s unique personality, the way your teenager tries not to laugh at dad’s corny jokes or moms attempts to get a big hug. My photography is all about capturing CONNECTION. Human connection is the most beautiful gift we can give to one another, and it is what I aim to capture through my work. Whenever I think about the times I have felt the most confident, the most beautiful, and the most loved in my life are times when I have been engaged with my family — cuddling, playing, laughing, being close. Any of the times I have felt connected to my family— those moments are what life is all about. Wanting to never forget that feeling— thats why I became a photographer, that is my ultimate goal for every family who steps in front of my lens, to make it possible for them to relive those feelings time and time again when they look at their photographs.
Play and Connection: The Heart of My Photography
In my photography sessions, I focus on creating a relaxed, stress-free environment where your family can truly be themselves. I guide you through fun interactions and playful activities, allowing genuine connections and emotions to shine through. This approach helps me capture the unique soul of each individual in front of my lens, revealing the love and bonds that make your family unique.
Preserving the Essence of Your Family
When you look at the photos from our session, I want you to feel the warmth and love that fills your home. I aim to create images that are not just pictures but memories—tangible reminders of the love, joy, and connection that define your family. These photos will serve as a cherished keepsake, a beautiful record of your family’s journey through life.
Why Lifestyle Family Photography Matters
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to overlook the small, significant moments that make up our days. Lifestyle family photography helps us slow down and appreciate these moments, capturing the essence of our children’s childhood and the love that binds us together. It’s a way to hold onto the fleeting moments, ensuring that they remain with us forever.
At Caitlin Ross Photography, I’m passionate about helping families create lasting memories through beautiful, heartfelt images. Let’s capture the magic of your family’s unique story, preserving it for generations to come. Click the inquiry button below to schedule your stress-free photo session during the beautiful Memphis golden hour today and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Capturing Timeless Heirloom Fine Art Portraits of Your Children
Heirloom Fine Art Portrait Photography in Memphis Tennessee
Creating heirloom fine art portraits of your children is a beautiful way to capture their personalities and features at a particular moment in time for you to cherish for generations to come. If you're considering booking an heirloom fine art portrait session with me, here are some important things to know before your session.
I include images in both black and white and in color. I will add vignetting around photographs upon request. vignetting is the blurring around the edges of the photo creating the oval shape. This is why you see some photographs in my gallery with and some without.
Choosing the Right Clothing
For the best results, I recommend dressing your child in simple, solid-colored clothing. White, off-white, and cream shirts and dresses photograph particularly well in black and white, creating a classic and timeless look. Light blue, pale pink, and yellow can also work, but they may appear more gray in black and white photos. The key is to avoid busy patterns or logos that can distract from your child's natural beauty.
Natural Light
I do not use harsh lighting for my portraits. I use natural light for all of my portrait sessions, as it creates a soft, flattering light that enhances your child's features. Natural light also adds a timeless quality to the portraits, making them look both classic and beautiful. Using natural light also allows me to keep the children in front of my lens comfortable. Sometimes large setups and harsh lights can be daunting to little kids.
Capturing Genuine Expressions
During each session, I spend 10-15 minutes getting to know your child, talking to them, and interacting with them to capture a variety of facial expressions. The number of photos per child will vary based on their unique personality and willingness to open up. My goal is to create a stress-free and laid-back environment where your child can be themselves, allowing me to capture their sweet personality as authentically as possible. A few sibling photos will be included if the children will allow me to capture them together. Parents can purchase adult add ons to capture the special relationship between parents and their children. Below you can see a session that included 4 siblings and a “mommy + me “ add on.
Viewing Your Portraits
After your session, you will receive a private online gallery within 3 weeks of your shoot date. This gallery will contain a selection of the best images from your session for you to view and choose from. The price of each session includes your choice of 5 digital downloads from the gallery, with the option to purchase additional downloads if desired. This means that if you have 2 kids, you get to download 10 images included in the price of the sitting fee you paid, and 15 if you paid for 3 sessions, and so on.
Conclusion
Capturing timeless heirloom fine art portraits of your children is a special experience that results in beautiful, cherished memories. By following these tips and trusting in my approach, you can ensure that your portraits capture the true essence of your child's personality and beauty for generations to come.
Click here to see some more of the heirloom portraits in my portfolio. Click here to book your fine art heirloom session with me or to hop on the waitlist! I offer these sessions usually once or twice a month, spots are limited and I open up the schedule usually a month in advance.
Golden Hour: Why Sunset is the Perfect Time for Your Family Photos in Memphis, Tennessee
Sunset Family Photos in Memphis Tennessee
As a family photographer in Memphis, Tennessee, capturing the perfect moments for your family is my passion. One of the most magical times of day for a photo session is the two hours before sunset, often referred to as the "golden hour." Let's explore why this time of day is ideal for your family photos, and why it's the only time I will take photos for families outdoors.
1. Stunning Lighting: Light is the most important thing a photographer considers when planning a photo session. During the golden hour, the sun is low in the sky, creating a soft, warm, and flattering light. This gentle light enhances skin tones, reduces harsh shadows, and adds a beautiful glow to your photos. The closer we get to sunset, the more I am able to capture my families with backlighting to create that golden light and airy look.
2. Vibrant Colors: The golden hour is known for its stunning, vibrant colors. The warm, golden light can make the colors in your photos pop, creating a vibrant look. Whether you're shooting in a park, a field, a garden, or in your own front yard, the golden hour can elevate the colors in your photos and create a truly magical atmosphere.
3. Reduced Harshness: The harsh midday sun can create unflattering shadows and highlights in your photos. By scheduling your session during the golden hour, you can avoid these harsh lighting conditions and ensure that your photos are soft, natural, and flattering.
4. Time for Play: The two hours before sunset in Memphis usually offer cooler temperatures—so needed in the Memphis heat! — and softer breezes, making it the perfect time for a photo session. Your family can play, laugh, and enjoy each other's company, while I capture beautiful, candid moments that reflect your family's unique personality and dynamics.
So why wait? Schedule your stress-free golden hour photo session today and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Changing Your Perspective: A Stress-Free Approach to Family Photos
Stress Free Family Photos in Memphis Tennesseee
Many of the families I work with confess that the mere thought of a photo session with little ones fills them with anxiety and stress. They anticipate a challenging and exhausting process, but they also deeply desire to capture their families in this chaotic, imperfectly perfect, beautiful stage of life. While I acknowledge that some planning is necessary—getting everyone dressed and to the session on time can feel like a feat in itself—I want to help shift your approach and mindset about what a family photo session can truly be, especially when you work with the right photographer.
My primary goal as a photographer is to capture authentic connections, the love within your family, and the genuine personalities of each individual who steps in front of my lens. My approach to photography differs from traditional posed sessions. While we do capture a few posed shots with everyone smiling at the camera throughout the session, the majority of our time is spent having fun and creating carefully curated moments of connection. You've hired me to create meaningful, heartfelt images that encapsulate your family as they are now. Therefore, we spend our time together creating these loving moments to capture memories that will last a lifetime.
Instead of viewing your upcoming lifestyle photography session as a stressful event where everyone needs to be "perfect" and on their best behavior, I encourage you to shift your perspective. Consider your family photo session as intentional, quality time spent with your loved ones.
Reflect on your Family’s Idea of Fun
Think about your family's favorite activities. Do you enjoy going for bike rides together, playing games, or visiting the park? Imagine these moments with your family. Do they evoke feelings of stress? More likely, they fill you with JOY, LOVE, and WARMTH.
For instance, my family loves to have dance parties in our kitchen. It may sound silly, but it's a time when my children laugh and enjoy themselves the most. They love to be wild and loud, watching their parents act goofy, sing, and dance along. During these moments, witnessing the unbridled joy and love from our children, my husband and I feel that nothing else in the world matters but being present in that moment with our beautiful children.
Shifting Your Perspective to Allow for a Fun Experience
Shift your perspective and view your photo session as a fun family activity. Start thinking about it as another opportunity to engage with your family and spending quality time together. Just like any other family activity, some planning and work are involved, but it's also a time to connect and enjoy being with one another.
When considering all this, remember to share these attitudes with your kids. Get them excited about their upcoming outing with the whole family! Instead of warning them to behave or bribing them to smile, talk to them about how much fun they'll have spending time together as a family. Mention the outdoor adventures, the chance to explore, spot animals, admire flowers, and even watch the sunset!
If you're a mom with a husband who isn't thrilled about posing for family photos, share this information with him. Let him know that this is not a traditional photo session where everyone needs to pose stiffly and smile. I've had dads and kids race, play Red Rover—anything goes! Encourage him to be open to following my prompts to simply play with the kids and let me guide the whole family into activities that will create meaningful connections for the whole family to enjoy.
Attitude is Everything!
We've all encountered someone whose bad attitude dampened our mood. Remember, your attitude as parents sets the tone for the entire session, especially for your kids. If you're stressed and anxious, or if you scold your kids for just being kids during the session, it can easily ruin the experience. Most family photographers who work with kids understand how unpredictable they can be. That's why I keep my sessions laid-back and fun. There's no "wrong way" to be. I only ask that everyone comes as themselves and is open to having a good time with their family.
During our time together, I'll do most of the work. I'll guide your family through gentle posing that creates connected moments. I'll probably crack some bad jokes, lead you into surprise tickle attacks, make silly sounds, we will probably do goofy dances, and maybe even play some games!
Having Fun and Feeling Connected
I receive messages from almost every family after their session telling me how much fun they had and how they and their kids really enjoyed the whole experience. This is my number one goal—to help families connect and feel the love for each other—because these connected moments create amazing photos that will become beautiful works of art to remind you of these moments for a lifetime.
