Grace Layne Photography - The Very Beginning

This blog post is going to be a bit different from the norm. I usually write about sessions I have done or tips and tricks for successful sessions/weddings, but today I wanted to share a different side of the business...me!

I know sometimes how weird it can feel communicating and meeting with someone you don't really know, and really have only seen or heard about through social media! So I wanted to share a bit about how I started my business and my LOVE for it, that way you can get to know a bit more about me and hopefully someday I can get the chance to meet you!

When I had my first daughter, Everly, I loved to take pictures of her on my phone, but had NO IDEA the depth that is newborn and baby/children photography. We had family photos done when she was 5 weeks old, but the photographer was not a newborn photographer. At this point I was still CLUELESS about photography in general!

After my second daughter (Amelia), we participated in a model/work session for a local photographer that was trying to get into newborn photography. This was my first glimpse at what it took to get those beautiful images you see of these squishy babies. Still, I was definitely a bit clueless on the ins and outs, just loving taking photos with my snazzy iphone!

Then, when I was pregnant with my little boy, I had maternity and newborn photos done by a photographer that specializes in that genre, and I fell IN LOVE! The artistic quality is something that I have always been drawn to, and I wanted to start trying to take "good" pictures of my kiddos. So, I convinced my hubby to let me get my first DSLR camera for my Christmas present that year. At that time it was a crazy expensive investment for us ($400) and I was SO excited to start photographing my kids with something other than my iphone!

After a little while of taking my sons 3,4,5 and 6 month photos, I started getting asked by close friends and family to snap some pictures of their littles! I loved it! But at this point it was still a hobby for me.

When Rowan (my son) was about 9 months old, I decided to make a photography page dedicated to photos I took of friends and family, hoping that maybe I could make this hobby a bit of a side job. I created the name "Grace Layne Photography" from my daughters middle names (Everly Grace and Amelia Layne) and also loved the play on words. I am a Christian and loved using "Grace Layne" because it reminds me of Gods grace and the path(or Layne) I try to walk on giving grace to others.

I started with families and I loved it, but then I had my first newborn client and knew that was a direction I definitely wanted to specialize in! In July of 2019 I started my newborn photography journey, and since then I have had over 50 newborns in my arms to snuggle and capture in their first days of life.

I loveeeeee newborn photography and all things baby (maternity, newborn, milestone, cake smash) but I also love capturing couples in love. So I decided to branch out and do a wedding for a couple that was looking for a photographer that my mother in law knew. This was September of 2019 and after that wedding, I knew weddings were also a passion of mine! Getting to be the brides comfort and friend for the day, and capturing all of the emotion is something I ADORE!

I have teared up many times during ceremonies, speeches, and first dances over the 2 years I have been doing weddings now, and can say the blessing of what I do is NEVER forgotten. I am so lucky I get to be a part of so many special moments in life for so many! Babies and weddings are my hearts passion, and what I have spent thousands of dollars in education, equipment, and props to be the very best I can be. I am living my dream, getting to do a job where I get to be creative, meet new people, and love on my clients every day!

I love you all so very much and am so thankful you allow me to be a part of your families lives and document your memories!

Below is my family! These were taken at our most recent vacation, by me running back and forth with a timer on my camera 😅 I am sure it was entertaining for all the beach goers that day! 🤣