Hi everyone!
It has been a long time since I have been able to put up a blog post, but I wanted to try and give a little update on what has been going on with Amy Rockwell Photography, and where I am heading in 2012.
This past year, has been amazing. I got to work with wonderful brides, grooms, families, babies, and seniors. I went to a really fantastic workshop in Wisconsin that taught me so much for this upcoming Wedding season, as well as new tools to take with me on every day sessions. I left my previous career in July to do this full time, and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. It is more work than I ever could have imagined, but well worth it.
Which brings me to where we are at going into this New Year. Most of you know that my family was included in those affected by the flooding on August 28th from Hurricane Irene. We lived on Bridge St in Schoharie, and 272 out of 290 houses in our town were significantly affected. We had originally decided to not return to our home. The damage was extensive, and the battle with our insurance company seemed endless. However, three months and three days after the flood, we finally received our settlement and my husband and I made the choice to begin rebuilding. We want to go home. We want our girls to grow up in this community. However, in order to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, we will have to do literally all the work ourselves, with help from friends and volunteers. And with my husband spending every waking, non-working moment at the house, I am now in charge of our girls, attempting to finance this undertaking with our limited budget, ordering, picking up and dropping off of building supplies and running the house we are renting as well. This leaves little time for the business. We hope to be in our house by late Spring, barring any major surprises or issues with the construction.
Because of this, I will be taking limited clients (2 or 3 a month) through April 2012, while focusing on my upcoming weddings. With 18 weddings on the calendar for 2012, I want to be able to leave myself as full service as possible for my brides and their engagement sessions and anything they may need. Once we move back to Schoharie (Yay!) I will open up my schedule again for family, newborn, and senior sessions.
This is an incredibly personal and difficult decision for me. Anyone who knows me, knows I need to work like I need to breathe air. But my family is my priority, and these two….are my heart and soul.
One of the other reasons we need to get back home is so we can also start helping our neighbors and friends who are still there, or who are also trying to come home. Seven houses on our street alone have been demolished. Those trying to save what is left need help. And here is also my plea. If you have time, energy, a skill of some sort (plumbing, electric installation, sheet rock, etc) please consider coming to Schoharie County to help. A day, a weekend, any time at all would mean the world to someone like me. We have had amazing volunteers at our house and would be lost without them. But they are needed, and will be needed, for many months to come. There is a central volunteer center on Main Street and all you need to do it show up and sign in, and they will send you somewhere that you can help.
I hope and pray that your 2012 will be an amazing year. With a little more luck, and a lot of hard work, I know that it will be for my family and I. Thank you all for your continued support and love.
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