The past couple weeks have been a little crazy...well...more like a lot crazy. 

As life got back to some semblance of normal as things “opened”, I started to work again. Navigating how to run my business despite all the concerns of Covid was a bit of a hurdle but I figured it out. And as most, I started revisiting the dentist, the doctor, and everything that had been put off for months. 

At one of those appointments I learned I would most likely have to have surgery again, for a long battled issue I’ve dealt with for the past ten years. I had gone through this surgery not even two years ago. I was so frustrated, but was starting to look at my schedule to plan ahead for another month off at some point in the future to take care of it. As that week went on, I very unexpectedly got worse and worse and headed back to the doctor where I would be told I had to have surgery the following week. 

UMMM WHAT?! 

I had literally JUST in the car got done planning an extended family session where people were flying in from New York. Another gal who I have practically photographed every life moment for since her wedding had me on standby so I could hopefully be there to capture her bringing her baby home from the hospital, and she was due next week! I had JUST mulled over various shirt colors that matched with camo for an upcoming session with a SO excited mama, and one of my very special  little clients was about to turn 4.5!  While this wasn’t totally the end of the world, it’s my world, and it’s the world of moms and families who want to capture very specific moments in time. And as a people pleaser, I wanted to throw up. 

What I’ve learned through all this happening in this way, is that so many people who frequent my services are the kindest, most loyal and understanding friends. As I feverishly reached out to everyone I would have to reschedule, everyone was willing to put off their moments and wait for me to be back to 100%.  Unless it was a case with people only being in town for certain days, not one person accepted a referral for another photographer. 

Life works in weird ways, and while these past couple weeks have been frustrating, emotional, and downright hard, I have felt so loved from my family, my friends, my clients. I never once felt alone, or felt like I let anyone down. 

Positive news came from the doctor yesterday, and while I’m still stuck on the couch for a few more days, I see the end of this in sight, and am grateful for the way it worked out. In hindsight, this ended up being the perfect time. THANK YOU to everyone who so graciously understood that life happens, and knows that this isn’t just a job for me. It’s my world, and I can’t wait to be back!

If you were to walk into my home, every single thing has a meaning - some sort of story behind it. Even every house plant came from a piece of another houseplant from someone from my history. It’s borderline ridiculous. But if you pointed at anything, I could tell you the story.

When it comes to buying cars, it’s harder to buy something brand new that has a story attached, but the story that unfolds while in my possession is so special. It’s you! 

I am leaving Monday morning to drive my car to Denver to give to my niece. She was born on the night of my senior prom and now I’m handing her the keys to my car. Yikes! It will be the last adventure in my Blue Fiat. Not really a huge deal, and I didn’t think much of it until yesterday when I was in my parents driveway scrubbing it clean for her. 

The Blue Fiat has driven 125,000 miles, with 95% of those being for shoots, it is 5 years old. It has endured many, many, many flat tires - 3 of which were on days I was driving to weddings. It has gotten in one major accident which too was on the morning I had a shoot and a wedding, and the number of small accidents it has endured - the time a coyote ran out of nowhere into the street, the time I backed up into my brother’s Jeep, the time I was rushing home to edit and slipped on ice. But it also inside, has about a million tiny little scratches. And as I tried to buff them out I just started tearing up.  So many times have I shoved a big red wagon, a vintage chair, 9,000 blankets, and the most random of things into the back of this car for props to use in photos. So many times I shoved up to 25 balloons into the back, and got so many laughs in the parking lots of Party City throughout Chicagoland. It has served as a way to know I’m “in the office” when I had my studio and was parked outside. It was a way to connect with clients when they would text me and say they saw me driving around.  And the enormous number of times little kids giggled and asked “Is that your tiny car?” always made me smile. So many of you saw this little car as a representation of Luved Photography, even more so than my logo,  as I saw it as more of my office than any studio could ever be. It was my safe space. 

As life has changed for me so much recently, as I was cleaning up the car I reminisced on all the happy times I had in that car and all the sad ones. So many times I had bad moments because of what was going on behind the scenes in life. All the times I literally felt like my only solace was riding around in that car doing my work. But most of the happy moments I remembered, all had to do with you guys, my clients, my friends. That car always took me to a place of peace, a place where I could have fun and not worry about what was going on in life - it took me to all my sessions. Thank you, for being the story, the joy behind that piece of my life. 

A new car has been purchased, another Fiat. This one has less room, as I try to force myself to stick to the type of photography I love - less props, more moments. There is no studio to park it in front of this time around, and not as many overly sized props to shove in it, but I just know that it will lead me through a new season of life, of my career, and some of life’s best moments - which I truly find in my work, in you!  


Xoxo,
​ed 

Hello, hello, and ohh do I miss you all!
This weekend would have been the start of my wedding season, and instead of picking out what lenses to use, I'm picking out another set of jammies for the day. UGH! My heart literally aches for those who have had to cancel their special days. In addition to missing all those happy tears at weddings, I am so missing cuddling all your babies and giggling with your kids. The quiet in my home is just a bit too much. 

I am cooped up with my pup, who is my little quarantine companion, and I basically only leave to pick up groceries and visit my parents. My days are spent working on a puzzle, reading, and working on projects that I have put on the back burner for years. New website, business cards, etc. It's really nice to have the time to get these things accomplished, and one of my 2020 goals was to live a more low key, slower life. 2020 really delivered. lol. 

As our stay at home order was just extended today, I know many who are on my May calendar are probably going to reach out to reschedule. I am trying to be incredibly careful for the sake of loved ones and really, for everyone, so we can get back to normal life, so rescheduling is completely ok! With weather getting nicer outside, my process will be to interview everyone individually. If you are hoping to still have your session and we can both find a mutual way to feel comfortable doing it from a distance, we can of course discuss proceeding. For most though, we will reschedule and find a time when we can feel more comfortable. While yes, I can photograph from a distance, a lot of my methods are in a tight vicinity of your children, so it's best to play it safe for all. 


For now, know that I miss you all so so much, send all your kiddos my love, and I hope sooner than later we'll all be saying "CHEESE & PICKLES!!"

luv, ed

PS - currently have binged on Unorthodox, Caliphate, (Sadly)Love is Blind, Derby Girls, Feel Good, and in the middle of A Handmaid's Tale. Iliza Schlesinger's comedy is pretty funny for background noise (Netflix). I get my daily dose of news from the podcast The Daily, from the New York Times. And I've read Buy Yourself the F***ing Lillies by Tara Schuster (LOVED) and Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo (Liked).
I also tried to make pancakes for the first time ever and they're pretty awful without milk. Hang in there friends! ​