New Perspective

Sometimes you just need a new perspective.

I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t struggling during this “Stay at home” mandate.

To start this out, I want to be sure I begin by saying that I know everyone is struggling in some way, with everything that has come with COVID-19. There are so many different seasons of life that people are in, but every single person has been affected by this in some way. Whether you’re in high school, college, you’re engaged, you’re a parent, you’re pregnant, you’ve lost a job, etc. Everyone is experiencing a different form of frustration from all of this.

If you’re here, you might know that I’m a photographer, obviously. I’m also 6 months (26 weeks) pregnant. My due date is July 11th and I’m at a point in my pregnancy where there is not much concern. I’m not close to delivering my baby, but I’m also not at the beginning stage when there are a lot of crucial and exciting appointments. Also, I had pretty a full season (for me) of weddings and portrait sessions scheduled for April-June. This is my full time business and I have a couple small, side jobs to keep me busy during the week. I had not planned on anything happening to my photography season, until baby’s arrival in July…

Well, as I’m sure you can imagine, COVID-19 had other plans.

If you’re a bride, or someone involved in planning a wedding, you know that right now is a very sad time to have a wedding booked. It’s supposed to be a happy season full of exciting moments, but now it’s become a heart breaking season where things are getting cancelled or post-poned. A global pandemic is not really something that anyone considered when scheduling/booking a 2020 wedding, but here we are. This virus has left so many brides, grooms, and vendors in a confused and frustrated place. From a vendor perspective, it’s been very scary in terms of job-security, but not only that… this virus has ripped away something that brings me so much joy and purpose! Each Spring/Summer I look forward to my photography season. Now, it feels as if it’s being ripped away.

This 2020 wedding season already looked a little different for me, since we are expecting a baby right in the middle of it (July). Now, thanks to COVID-19 my wedding season has officially been totally rearranged. All of my scheduled weddings are re-scheduling and what makes it even more challenging and heart breaking is that many of them are choosing months that I am unavailable because of my pregnancy. It makes me wonder what God’s plan is for my business and causes a lot of sadness, to be completely honest. It feels like all I have to look forward to now, is baby’s arrival. Now, I’m even anxious wondering if my family and friends can be a part of this little one’s arrival…

I’m at a stage in my pregnancy now, where baby is growing properly and everything is healthy, so I shouldn’t be concerned about things. I should be thankful, but I haven’t been. COVID-19 has caused me to feel a lot of different emotions, ranging from sad, angry, scared, anxious, lonely, apathetic, isolated, uninspired, etc. Our “babymoon”, scheduled for April, has been cancelled, and now even our baby shower is up in the air… it’s been hard to be happy, when so many things about this season of life are not how I pictured…

All of this being said… I’m sure you expected this blog post was going to be uplifting, and YES, that is the purpose of it, but I wanted to keep it real for a moment a share with you where my heart has been in this season. I have been in a really tough place emotionally and really needed something to lift my spirits/help me feel re-inspired. Of course, Jesus is the true joy of my heart, but I’ve still felt sad and isolated in these times… SO, I started something fun called #thestayhomeseries!

#thestayhomeseries

If you’re on instagram I highly recommend you check out this hash tag. It has been a fun way to feel productive and to be able to still use my camera and get creative. What’s been most fun about it is other photographers joined in!! If you visit this hash tag you’ll see a series of photos from different photographers who have participated in taking photos at home! It can be anything… Your pets, your morning coffee, a corner in your house that you love, etc. Below are some photos that I have taken during this “stay at home” mandate. Including some photos from other photographers who I love. Be sure to check out this hash tag on instagram, too!

I encourage you to find new things that you love in, or around, your house! It’s really helped give me a new perspective and be so thankful for the things that I have! Our home is small, but these weeks at home have really given me a brand new appreciation for all of the things I’ve taken for granted before. Little things like the windows in our house, our tall ceilings, etc.! I’ve also fallen more in love with my dog and my husband… It’s helping me realize that everything I have right now is already something to look forward to. That this little human wiggling inside of me is everything! It’s not about anything else that comes with this season of being pregnant, it’s about this little life and the way it’s going to change and shape ours as a married couple.

Sometimes, you really just need a brand new perspective. <3

xo,

Renee

Below are some beautiful images from Meghan McGuire - Oh Miss Photography:

Find her Instagram HERE!

Images below are from Lindsey Zitzke of LZ Photography

Find her instagram HERE!

Lindsey recently launched her presets if you love the style of her images and want yours to have the same light and airy feel as hers! Check them out on her instagram and website.

If you look at the hash tag, you’ll notice there are even more beautiful photos on there! HUGE shoutout to all of the amazing photographers that joined in on this challenge #thestayhomeseries. I hope to continue to take photos around the house; I look forward to watching this hash tag grow over the next couple of weeks.

This blog post can always be edited, so if you’d like to see your photos included here, in my #thestayhomeseries blog post, be sure to send me an email at hello@reneekristine.com!

Stay safe and healthy, friends! xoxo