Thursday Truth Bomb

Y’all, I’m gonna be real with you for a minute. Last month, I seriously considered hanging up my camera and going back to a regular 9-to-5. I know that sounds crazy coming from someone who calls herself “the camera lady,” but sometimes this business feels impossible.

I had three potential clients ghost me after initial conversations, my car has been misbehaving, and I spent an entire weekend questioning whether I’m actually good at this or just fooling myself. You know those moments when you wonder if everyone’s just being nice when they say they like your work?

But then something happened that changed everything.

I was scrolling through Facebook, feeling pretty sorry for myself, when I saw a notification pop up. A new review on my business page. I almost didn’t click on it because I was in such a negative headspace, but something made me look.

It was from Tahlia’s mom – a senior session I’d done last summer. She wrote: “10/10 recommend Lilley Photography. I reached out to Alisha last summer pretty much last minute for my daughters senior photos and Alisha booked us no problem. We did 2 sessions (summer and fall) plus her cap and gown session. Alisha was open to all of Tahlia’s locations and ideas. Tahlia was camera shy and Alisha being the phenomenal person she is made Tahlia comfortable each photo and pose that she was able to open up and not be shy. Not only is she great and creative she is also affordable. Choosing Lilley Photography was the best decision I made, I am now blessed with amazing photos to last a lifetime.”

I literally started crying right there at my office desk. Here I was, doubting everything about my work, and this mom took time out of her day to write something so thoughtful about how I helped her daughter feel confident and beautiful.

And just like that, I remembered why I do this. It’s not about the perfect lighting or the fanciest equipment. It’s about helping camera-shy teenagers like Tahlia feel comfortable enough to let their true selves shine through. It’s about giving moms like hers photos that will last a lifetime.

Some days this job is hard. Really hard. But then I remember that I’m not just taking pictures – I’m helping people feel good about themselves. And that’s worth every ghosted client and rackety car.

The Real Question

How many of us are one bad week away from giving up on something we love? Sometimes the difference between quitting and pushing through is just one person taking the time to tell you that what you do matters.