Five years ago, when I started my photography business I remember trying to come up with a name for it. The logical name for it was of course Chasity Strickland Photography right? I mean, that’s what most photographers do is use their name as their business. I remember playing with fonts, and trying to make it sound right, but it never set right with me. I recall my husband telling me that it needed to be my name and me always saying it’s not supposed to be my name. I didn’t want to be known by name for my photos. It’s funny because sometimes people meet me and they ask what I do and when I tell them they immediately respond “You’re the Sugar Snap Lady”. It always makes me smile to hear that.
You see, Sugar Snap Photography in the beginning opened up a different life for me. It gave me the chance to leave my full time job and be a stay at home mom. It allowed me to stay creative and be around other people and children. It gave me the opportunity to grow my heart and craft in ways I could have never imagined.
It has taken almost 5 years for me to realize why God never gave me the full freedom of calling it by my name. The Lord put on my heart last year that I was supposed to let go of “my baby” (Sugar Snap) and give it to someone. When I first heard that from HIM, I laughed! “Really Lord, I built this business from the ground, I poured my soul into growing this business so that I would not have to travel for my job and be away from my kids and husband on a weekly basis! Don’t you mean sell the business?” I was corrected very quickly and heard him clearly say to me, “You didn’t build this business, I did! Your name is not on this business and that is why I never gave you the peace to name it after yourself. Chasity, this is my business and you were just a part of it’s journey. It was a gift to you because I love you and I wanted you to have the desires of your heart.” (One of my fav verses is Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart).
So that’s it… that is why I was never supposed to call Sugar Snap by my name. From that day on, I knew that I was supposed to be obedient. I am so in awe of the fact that God had a bigger plan for this little business than to just be with me. I began to pray and ask God to show me what to do with Sugar Snap and what “giving it away” really meant?
And one day, it happened. The moment that I saw a bigger picture for this little business. A long time friend and personal client of mine and I had a heart to heart about photography and life and all the good stuff in between. This friend and I go way back; in fact, I photographed both of her boys from the time they were newborns (and even when they were in her belly). We had sessions every 3 months and I have watched her family grow through the lens of my camera. You see, this friend of mine is creative and talented, she has an incredible eye for photography and a desire to grow and learn. Her heart is what I love even more than her ability to learn and blow my mind away with her gifts and talents! After our conversation, I knew that I was supposed to bless her with the gift that God so incredibly blessed me with… SUGAR SNAP PHOTOGRAPHY.
So over the past two months, we have been partnering and working and trying to figure out how to turn things over and how to introduce her to this beautiful world of sweetness. She has been taking on sessions and clients and she blows my mind more and more every day with her persistence in learning and her ability to capture moments with her camera. She has TALENT and it comes so naturally.
Before I introduce you to her I want you to know a couple things. I am not out of the picture completely, and I am not giving up photography. I am still taking some Sugar Snap work (There are many of you that started out as clients and now are friends and I can’t imagine not photographing your children and family). I am still working along side with this amazing gal, for the time being. I am just diving and growing my craft in other areas of photography as well.
To all my sweet clients: Thank you all for being so sweet to me over the years. Thank you for trusting me to capture moments for you. Thank you for being a part of my life and I pray that I the memories and moments I have captured for you are treasure forever! I love you all so much
So let me introduce you to one of the most amazing women I know! I can’t help but post pics from most of the shoots that I have done with her from the beginning. This is why my job has been so incredibly special. I have had the opportunity to see families and children, like Amber’s grow. I have been blessed to capture these memories and moments for her and Russ and her sweet children! That is mind blowing to me!!!!!
So with great excitement… meet AMBER TYSL!
Amber and Russ during their maternity shoot!
Russ is a basketball coach so this was completely appropriate!
Amber and her precious Mom after Kuy’s arrival
Sweet Kuy- 1 week old
Growing up
This was one of my favs
Then Kuy turned 1
Sweet Family for Fall pics later that year!
Then along came Cray
And Kuy makes quite the amazing Big Brother
And So They Grow
And So We Grow!
I can’t wait for you to get to know Amber a little better. But here is a few things you will love about her!
-She is a elementary school teacher (and no she is not quitting her job- she is teaching and do this on the side to stay creative)
-She is one of the most beautiful dancers that I have ever met!
-She has this little blog that is no longer that little… check it out and you will see her talents are not just behind the camera…) AMBER’S PERSONAL BLOG!!!!
Trust me when I say, you will fall in love with her.
Tomorrow I will share a session that she recently did and it’s incredibly beautiful. You will get to see how talented she really is and why she is a part of Sugar Snap now!
Until then, much love
Chasity
