The End of an Era | Lancaster Photography School has Closed — I’m BACK!
Well, that went faster than I expected! I had anticipated keeping the virtual doors open a bit longer as final sales were made and coaching students squeezed the last bit of knowledge out of me. Instead, it just…ended—unceremoniously.
When humans envision the end of things—a meal, a workout, a relationship, or life—we picture it tied up in a neat little bow, accompanied by feelings of satisfaction or a sense of calm as life unfolds as it should, and we let go. We say things like, “When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window” (quoting The Sound of Music there). But the reality is rarely so neat and clean. We finish a meal, dabbing the corner of our mouth, feeling overfull while still needing to wash a sink full of dishes. The workout doesn’t truly end with a sense of accomplishment; we’ll feel the tight muscles the next day. When relationships start to unravel, we imagine everyone agreeing to fair terms and expect to be able to say it was amicable in the end—it never is. When lives end, we hope it will be the stuff of movies—heart-wrenching, yet with hands folded softly, final words that mean the world, gentle tears, and a willing letting go into peace. Though I have not been at the bedside of anyone’s final moments, I don’t believe that’s usually how it happens.
It’s messy and confusing when things come to an end. The ending of my photography school hasn’t been as clean as I had hoped, either. I thought I would receive heartfelt emails from current and past students, people in awe that I even attempted such a feat. I assumed that coaching students would continue to show up until the end. I thought students would actively try to go through all the material they purchased with their hard-earned money—videos, audio files, transcripts, and PDF workbooks that had taken thousands of hours to perfect for them. I assumed they would at least download everything for future use. They haven’t.
I’ve wrestled with questions like: Should I still put out my newsletter? Many subscribers read it religiously. Sometimes, I even receive replies with the kindest messages that make all that work worthwhile. I don’t think I will… not for a while. Perhaps, in the future, for my beloved clients, but not for photographers—not for marketing a product. Should I try a more passive platform to sell the courses so they don’t collect dust? Maybe. But I can’t even consider that possibility for a while. What do I do when people ask me photography questions that are far more complicated than the simple answer they expect? It's rude not to help—not my way, either, but I can’t help everyone. For this reason, I decided to retain the one-on-one online coaching aspect of my work with Lancaster Photography School—a simplified version designed for all experience levels, from beginners to professional wedding photographers. One session at a time, 30 minutes at a time, with availability listed one week at a time to ensure I can say yes to those fun last-minute family adventures that are popping up more and more now that Finn and Rita are getting older.
This program is also expected to conclude at the year’s end. But we’ll see what happens. We all know I’m not going to invest much energy in marketing it. 😜 I plan to refocus all my work energy here at Megan Hoffer Photography, where it has always belonged. I love creating and thrived while building LPS. However, as much as I enjoyed teaching my craft to eager students, the marketing aspect of the business just isn’t for me. Photography itself is about creating something from nothing—and that is where I belong. I was placed here on Earth to create, build, and pass our stories onto the next generations. I create connections. Honestly, aside from meeting people, editing photos and blogging my clients’ stories is genuinely my favorite part of this photography business. I’m ready to return to more of that on a regular basis.
So, what can you expect from me over the next few months?
More Sharing
More of this type of sharing, yes. But, more importantly, lots more dreamy pictures and heartfelt stories about our amazing clients here and on social media. I’d also like to get back to sharing tips and tricks of the trade for our current brides getting ready to say, “I do!”
More Associates
I said it! I thought I never would! However, we have a dynamite associate team that I would trust to photograph my own kids’ weddings. I plan to rely on them more often to lead the day, allowing me to focus on what I do best: editing and writing, as well as all the other tedious back-end tasks that business owners must complete every day.
More Enthusiasm and Heart
I know many people already describe me as bubbly and energetic. Still, I’m about to bring it like I’ve never brought it before when it comes to being a cheerleader for our couples, our photographers, and our dear Client Services Coordinator, Theresa. I finally have all the right people in the right seats on the bus, and we're ready to make some history for a few lucky families this year.
Sometimes it takes going down a bumpy scenic route for a while to realize you should have stayed on the highway. For this chapter, my sunglasses are on, the windows are down, the music is up, and I’m ready to rock and roll in the driver’s seat of my life, creating our best work this year. This weekend, I have a wedding at Cameron Estate Inn with Samantha at my side. Next weekend, I’ll be at The Barn at Stoneybrooke working with Scott! Let’s GO!
xx - Megan