Well I am just playing on words here because last year I forgot to acknowledge 15 years and next year is 17 which sounds super boring. Therefore, I am celebrating my Sweet 16th Year in business! That sounds SO long but it went SO fast. I thought I would try to list 16 things about me and my business but I don't think I have that many things to say so I will try to reach half... 8 things about me and the history of SBP:
1. I had the idea before I had the skill. I knew I wanted to be a photographer well before I entered college. I was talked out of majoring in Photography and talked into getting a Chemistry degree. I basically self taught myself photography but I did take some basic classes, shadowed a couple seasoned photographers and attended countless workshops over the years.
2. Started this business venture in 1999 when I bought my professional equipment and started practicing on friends and family - those poor souls. Then in 2003 quit my full time lab job to begin running SBP out of my basement in our home on the north side of Kenosha.
3. I stayed in the home studio for two years and then moved to the studio downtown Kenosha in 2005. I have been there ever since. 14 years!
4. I started out photographing weddings and portraits but then trailed off into portraits only to keep the peace in the Baldwin Household. The boys were young.. REAL young: at one point they were 10, 8.6.4.2.and 0 After about five years of photographing weddings, I made a deal with my husband to shoot portraits only. "Happy Husband/Happy Life" is a thing too.
whew, half way done... here are just a few more random facts about me:
5. As stated above I have a husband who has stuck with me for over 22 years and we have six boys. Did we plan that? Were we trying for a girl? Do we homeschool? Are we Catholic? What does your husband do? All the questions I get asked on a daily basis when someone realizes how many children I have. So here are the answers in a nutshell:
Did we plan that? I can't remember
Were we trying for a girl? I can't remember
Do we homeschool? No, I am not smart or patient enough ( see, I think I even wrote that wrong.. isn't it suppose to be nor?)
Are we catholic? Yes but pretty sure that had nothing to do with it
What does your husband do? I can't remember but I do know where he works!
But in all seriousness, I just love kids and I would have kept going as long as I could. Brian caught on to what I was doing and "we" decided our family was complete after 6.
6. My "coffee" is a Starbucks Chai Tea - must be hot - I don't care what time of year it is. But I feel like I have to disclose up until about a year ago it was McDonalds Coke... it had to be coke, not diet coke and it had to a large coke in the plastic cup not the foam or paper cup. I am so glad I am not that weird anymore.
7. My "cocktail" is Long Lemonade.. basically a Long Island but with Lemonade instead of Cola. I am sure I probably didn't have to explain that but just in case.
I can't even make it to 8. That was exhausting talking about myself. Thank you if you made it this far. Here is to another 16!