Page 34 of Wood You Knot

Isla had no such stories to share. She was a freelance graphic designer who worked from home so she could be with her two kids, both too young for school. “I miss out on all the fun drama,” she pouted.

“Oh! That reminds me, Sage. You should get Isla to help you with a logo and a business card.”

“I don’t have a photography business, remember?” I pointed out, arching a brow.

“So? Make one. Unless you want to work at the hardware store forever.”

I frowned a little. “Nothing against Uncle Ed, I love the hardware store—but yeah. I’d like to not be in retail. It would be cool to do photography full time one day…”

“She’s talented too,” Tabitha interjected, pulling up my Instagram account to show off the photos I’d recently taken at the beach and passing her phone around so the girls could get a good look.

“You’re so good,” Ophelia exclaimed, her expression impressed as she handed Tabitha her phone back.

“You totally should start your own photography business,” Lilah urged. “What’s stopping you?”

“I don’t know how to run a business, and besides…I don’t even know what I’d call it.” I laughed awkwardly. I’d never had so many people encouraging me to go for it. Usually, I just heard about how it wasn’t lucrative, that so many people were doing it. That I was silly for wanting to try…

These girls looked at me like I was crazy for not already doing it, though.

“Nobody knows exactly how to run a business, even those of us running our own business.” Lilah smiled kindly. “It’s a learn-as-you-go kind of thing. As for the name…” she paused, thinking, and the rest of the women around the table seemed to be doing the same.

After some quiet thought, the suggestions started pouring out.

“What about ‘So Lensational Photography,’” Tabitha tossed out.

“Or ‘Flash Me Photography,’” Ophelia added with a cheeky grin, feeding off Tabitha’s suggestive name.

“Those names are great, but they may give the impression you only do boudoir photography,” Isla said, taking a more thoughtful approach. “What is your niche?”

“I have a lot of practice with babies and kids, since my daughter’s pretty much been my only subject for the last several years,” I said, pausing to think on it before continuing. “I love landscape photography and capturing candid moments. I always thought it would be cool to do wedding photography—more destination stuff, less indoor venue…but I’ve never done anything like that. I’m not really big on studio photography; I don’t have much experience with it…”

“You could keep it classic and use your full name or initials. What’s your last name again?” Isla asked.

“Whitaker…”

“So Sage Whitaker Photography, or SW Photography,” Isla suggested with a smile.

“Ooh, yes. I love both those options.” Tabitha nodded. “Which one do you prefer?”

“I don’t know.” I laughed, feeling their genuine excitement and encouragement. It was more intoxicating than the sangria.

“Well, think on it and shoot me a message when you decide. We’ll talk about a logo, and I’d be happy to do up some business cards for you,” Isla told me, pulling a card of her own out of her purse and handing it to me. Her business logo read Graphic Sense, and beneath that was her name and email. When I flipped it over, there was a QR code on the back. “If you scan that with your phone, it’ll bring you to all my social media accounts. We can talk about doing that for you too.”

Lilah looked impressed as she studied Isla’s card over my shoulder. “I wish I’d known about you sooner; I would have hired you to do my logo design and cards. I ended up hiring someone from back home before I left.”

She reached into her purse and pulled out a card for the spa. “Oh! I love that, though,” Isla exclaimed. “It’s neat, clean, and simplistic. The graphic designer did a very good job.”

“I’m happy with it.” Lilah nodded. “But in the future, I’ll make sure I go to you for my graphic design needs.”

While Isla and Lilah were talking, Ophelia turned her hazel gaze on me. She reminded me of a grown-up Merida, all that long, curly red hair, porcelain skin, and soft freckles. Her beauty was kind of intimidating, and if I’d judged her off her appearances alone, I would have never spoken to her for fear of thinking her beauty made her mean. But her smile was every bit as friendly as she was.

“If you’re interested, I could pass your contact information along to some of the photographers we work with? Sometimes they need second shooters,” Ophelia inquired, watching me with keen interest.

“Second shooters?” The sangria was making my brain feel a little fuzzy.

“Yeah. A second shooter is an additional photographer taking photos at the wedding. You’d get paid to take the photos and send the raw files to them, and they’d edit the photos in their style. It would give you a little experience doing weddings.”

“That would be perfect for you, Sage,” Tabitha squealed, reaching for my hand and squeezing it.

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