Setting personal boundaries in business, especially as an entrepreneur, can be the crucial difference between burning out and finding success.

Samantha Stuart of Samantha Stuart Photography said it took years of working for herself to find what works and what does not.

With a one-year-old daughter, Stuart decided she was going to open a day home for young children, while pursuing photography as a hobby. After many workshops and sessions in Yellowknife, Stuart honed in on one particular area of interest before pursuing it as a business, part time at first, in 2013.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was doing a lot of online working and workshops with Dave Brosha and through that learned that I really don't like taking landscape photos and really was more interested in people and their stories and how they wanted to be captured,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart.

After two years of trying to juggle running a day home and taking on a few clients for photography, Stuart decided to turn to photography full time in 2015.

Since then, Stuart said she has been taking on most jobs involving photography but her real bread and butter is portraits, family sessions and infant photography.

But even in her first few years of business, she still had troubles setting boundaries between work and personal life.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the last year I've been focusing in on setting boundaries in business,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart. SA国际影视传媒淲orking weekdays and leaving my weeknights and weekends free for my family and three kids.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淏efore, I was working all the time. My office was at home, so I would not really put work away when I was at home. It was quite stressful.SA国际影视传媒�

In recent months, Stuart has decided to take on teaching and more real estate photography.

SA国际影视传媒淚n a bigger city, photographers would focus on a niche due to the needs of the market,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart. SA国际影视传媒淏ut I like to cover the bases. It comes in ebbs and flows. In spring it's busy for real estate photography, for example.SA国际影视传媒�

In addition to the teaching she has done for adults through the City of Yellowknife, this year Stuart will be launching a new photography day camp for youth.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey say make hay when the sun shines,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart. SA国际影视传媒淪o I'm going to move more of my focus into teaching this summer, so there will be five weeks of photo camps in Kam Lake.SA国际影视传媒�

For this she will be hiring a summer student to help with the camp and has gained access to equipment through Western Arctic Moving Pictures to take the children on nature photo-walks while connecting with local groups and businesses, such as Arctic Farmer and the Yellowknife Guild of Arts and Crafts.

SA国际影视传媒淲e'll be exploring different kinds of photography, teaching the kids the fundamentals of using the camera and always keeping how to take a good shot in mind,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart.

She said these are important opportunities for her to learn herself.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of people have different perspectives when they look through a camera of have different ideas so it's neat to teach a few basics and see them grow through that.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚t also means less editing for me,SA国际影视传媒� she said with a laugh. SA国际影视传媒淭he less time I spend behind my computer would be great in the summer.SA国际影视传媒�

According to Stuart, it's not so much the editing process that is hindering, but sorting through the abundance of photos that come from any given shoot.

SA国际影视传媒淲ith the digital age, you do take a lot of photos, and less than 10 per cent are being printed, if any at all,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart.

SA国际影视传媒淐ulling through the photos, especially in family sessions when there are so many expressions and angles, to cull it down to a manageable collection for the client takes a lot of work.SA国际影视传媒�

Stuart said she works very closely with her clients with the goal of producing work that will be printed and put on the customers' walls.

SA国际影视传媒淚 usually do the print package. It always comes with four by six print proofs,SA国际影视传媒� said Stuart. SA国际影视传媒淭hat way they can actually see what it looks like printed. It's an important focus for my business.SA国际影视传媒�

Stuart said she will continue to take on work from real estate, plus infancy and wedding photos, but is looking forward to maintaining a steady work-life balance as she prepares for a summer of teaching.