What a Weekend in Dallas Taught Me About Running (and Why I Do This)
I came home from a newborn photography conference this weekend thinking about running. And no, I’m not as crazy as that sounds, stick with me for a second.
A few years ago, what feels like a lifetime ago now, I used to run. Like, a legit runner. Several 5Ks, a handful of half marathons, one full marathon. I trained daily. Some days were long runs, some were short sprints, some were lifting heavy weights or yoga.
And at every race, my focus was never on being the fastest, or coming in first, or collecting medals. Let’s be honest, I wasn’t blessed with the genetics of a runner. My focus was on beating my last time. Even if only by a second or two, if I ran faster than my last race, or my average pace ticked down, that was a win in my book.
When I first started running, it was out of necessity. I was in my twenties, had gained a few pounds, was tired all the time, and was making a lot of unhealthy choices. I needed to get in shape. And it was hard. In the beginning, there were plenty of runs where I questioned why I was doing this to myself, usually somewhere around minute twelve, gasping, wondering if this was the day I’d finally be on the news for the wrong reasons.
But eventually, the long runs became something I looked forward to. And at some point, I experienced what runners call the “runner’s high”, that feeling of elation, of freeness. Once you feel that, you’ll chase it with everything you have. I didn’t get it every time I laced up. But the chance of feeling that freedom again was enough to get me out the door.
What Running Taught Me About Being a Newborn Photographer
This weekend I spent time in Dallas, Texas, attending the Maternity and Newborn Photographers Summit — learning from some of the top names in our industry (and some of photographers I’ve looked up to since the very beginning): Evie Lynn Photography, Kelsey Freeman, and Kelly Brown just to name a few. The names that, if this is your job, you know. The names with work a lot of us have drooled over back when we were “baby photographers” just starting out. (Honestly? I still do)
I heard genuinely inspiring talks about confidence from Erin Elizabeth (seriously was not expecting that one to hit me as hard as it did), about taking the first step without fear, about humble beginnings. And through all of it, I found myself reflecting on my own journey.
When I first started, my “why” — the reason I do this, the thing that carries me through when it gets hard — was easy to name. I was new. Inspired. Motivated. Giddy every single time I got to photograph a baby, because it didn’t happen often. (If you were one of my first clients THANK YOU!!! you made me fall in love with this work more than you know)
Over time, that “why” got a little lost. I’ve always been obsessively passionate about what I do, but that quiet voice reminding me why, that runner’s high, has gotten quieter, harder to hear over the noise of being busy, of catering to clients, of constantly creating, and even noises; the social media spiral.
The Comparison Trap
This weekend gave me the time and space to reflect, and I realized something: social media makes the game of comparison so easy to fall into. We start to feel like we need to keep pace with the other “runners”, not just newborn photographers in our own city, but around the world, because we’re all that connected now.
A failed session, or a moment where we missed a client’s vision, can start to feel like falling behind. We start creating not for ourselves, or even for our clients, but for views and likes and validation from other photographers.
It’s about showing up, again and again, for the family in front of me.
I won’t pretend there isn’t a little serotonin boost when another photographer notices your work. There is. (and I will absolutely still do a small, internal, dignified fist pump every time.) But that’s not why I do this.
It comes back to the running.
My Why
I do this for my clients. What actually motivates me is getting a little better with every session, even in the smallest ways, so I can give them something remarkably beautiful to treasure for years to come. Remembering to tighten my backdrop so I’m not fixing it later. Making a deeper connection with an overtired mom who’s probably in a chaotic daze just days after having her baby. Creating a space where my clients feel safe, and held, and like they finally have permission to breathe.
That’s my why. That’s what pushes me.
just the quiet, personal chase of a little better than last time
And it’s the same thing that pushed me through mile eighteen of a marathon I had no business finishing fast: not the medal, not the crowd, not the time on the clock, just the quiet, personal chase of a little better than last time, and the freedom that came when I found it.
I didn’t come home from Dallas with new lighting techniques or new posing tricks. I came home reminded of what actually matters: this was never about keeping pace with anyone else’s run, and that might be the biggest lesson of all.
It’s about showing up, again and again, for the family in front of me, and chasing that feeling of getting to be trusted with one of the most tender weeks of their lives.
If that’s the kind of newborn session you’re looking for, one built on presence and connection, not just a checklist — I’d love to talk.
xoxo
Jackie
Jackie is the owner of Honeywild Photography located in Grand Rapids, MI. She specializes in studio newborn photography, maternity and milestone baby photography.
