A Love Letter to the Last Five Years

On July 29th, 2026, Annie Baker Photography officially turns five years old.

It’s honestly crazy to think that this all started because my best friend, Jaynah, trusted me enough to take her senior pictures. We’ve been best friends for almost 12 years now, and when I decided to create an Instagram and start offering senior photos, she was the very first person to believe in me. Looking back now, I don’t think either of us imagined those photos would lead me here.

After Jaynah's session, more friends started asking me to take their senior pictures, and within those first few months, I booked my very first paying client. I was so excited, but I still thought photography would always just be a fun hobby that I loved doing on the side.

Then after I graduated high school, things slowed down. I had a handful of sessions in 2022 and a few more in 2023, but if I’m being honest, I think I had convinced myself that maybe photography wasn’t something I could actually make a career out of. I missed it so much, though. I missed creating, meeting new people, and telling someone’s story through photos.

So, in 2024, I sat down and made a business plan. I remember writing down exactly what I wanted Annie Baker Photography to become. I wanted to shift into couples, engagements, and weddings, while still offering seniors, families, maternity, newborns, and everything else that made me fall in love with photography in the first place. One of the biggest goals I wrote down was becoming an LLC in the state of Colorado.

Less than two years later, I can officially say I did it.

As of July 1, 2026, Annie Baker Photography officially became an LLC, and somewhere along the way, this little dream became my full-time job.

The funny thing is… photography isn’t even what keeps me here anymore.

Photography is what introduced me to this career, but people are what kept me. Every couple I’ve laughed with, every family I’ve met, every senior who’s trusted me, every wedding I’ve cried at- they’re the reason I came back when I almost walked away.

I once heard someone say, “If your customers aren’t laughing and having a good time, you’re doing it wrong.” I think about that all the time because that’s exactly what I hope every session feels like. Sure, I want you to leave with beautiful photos, but more than that, I want you to leave with memories. I want our session to feel like hanging out with a friend, because those genuine laughs, quiet moments, and little in-between memories are what make the best photographs.

Becoming an LLC is definitely a little scary. There are a lot more “grown-up” responsibilities now. But it’s also one of the biggest accomplishments of my life, because it means I get to keep doing what I love while meeting incredible people and preserving moments they’ll look back on for years to come.

To every single person who has booked a session, shared my work, referred a friend, cheered me on, or simply followed along over the last five years… thank you. You helped turn a high school hobby into the career I once only dreamed about.

Here’s to the first five years… and to everything that’s still to come.