No, You’re Not Crazy—Those Are Christmas Decorations in the Background
I know what you’re thinking: “Wait… another update? In the same day?”
“You’ll lose traction!”
“This isn’t how the algorithm works!” blah, blah, blah.
I get it. I’m breaking the sacred social media rules. Two posts in a single day? Somewhere, a digital marketing guru just spilled their overpriced latte. But here’s the deal: I genuinely don’t care about social media anymore. I haven’t updated Instagram since the new year. I deleted X right after the election. And aside from today’s two posts, this blog has only seen one update since mid-January.
And you know what? I’m perfectly fine with that.
Takeaway #1: I’m still working—on my terms. I’m shooting sessions as often as I want, and I’m genuinely happy doing two solid ones a month. That’s my sweet spot.
My best source of new work has never been likes, hashtags, or reels. It’s always been word of mouth.
Someone sees photos I did of their friend and asks who shot them. Or I’m out doing a session, someone approaches me, I hand them a card, and that’s that. No awkward exchange of IG handles. No pulling out phones mid-shoot.
Just: “Here’s my card—reach out when you’re ready.” Boom. Back to work.
Takeaway #2: I have more time—and way less stress. Walking away from the hamster wheel of content creation gave me hours back every week. I no longer have to micromanage what gets posted where, when, or worry about some innocent image being flagged by a random troll.
I’m still getting the same number of quality shoots—without the anxiety, the algorithm, or the nonsense.
There was a time when you could finesse the system with SEO tricks and keywords, but those days are gone. Now? If you want to show up first in search, you pay. Simple as that. So again, what’s the point?
Which brings us here. Yes, I’ve done multiple sessions over the past few months. Some won’t ever be posted due to client requests. Others… well, I just haven’t gotten around to sharing them yet.
But today I’m feeling a bit under the weather, so I’m taking it easy and finally updating this space.
These images are from a holiday shoot with Samantha, who was visiting family over the break. We met up one brisk Saturday morning at Colonial Williamsburg and created some magic together. She’s an absolute, and literal, rock star.
Now that spring is finally rolling in, it’s time to start scheduling more outdoor sessions. I’m also planning a reintroduction to the world of fitness photography—something I’ve always loved but haven’t focused on in the past few years.
So, if I seem quiet on here, just know that I’m still active out there, doing my thing.
As a professional portrait photographer with 40 years of experience, Mark Knopp has dedicated his career to capturing the perfect portrait. His work spans Hampton Roads, Richmond, select areas of North Carolina, and central New York—wherever the vision leads him. Contact him at mknopp1(at)cox.net.
Photography by Mark K 