Most blogs, photography related or not, run an end-of-year post saying goodbye to the current year &/or welcoming the new one. Mine is no exception, except that it will be the first, primarily text-based post on this site. Hang on tight, because here we go...
A Business Is Born
I admit, 2011 was good great! This summer, I took a leap of faith in myself and my passion, registering my photography business after years of dabbling on the side.
Believe in your dreams & the power of you. Follow through. You're the only one who can turn those wisps of inspiration into reality.
Sure I had doubts & fears (who doesn't when they consider entrepreneurship), but none I deemed worthy of preventing me from moving forward in my dream. Photography isn't just one of the things I love; photography is one of the things I can't imagine my life without. And thus, a business was born.
First Steps
My business took its first steps when my food photography published in Strawberry Creek Inn's gorgeous, coffee-table cookbook, Memorable Mornings.
Strawberry Creek Inn's Shrimp & Grits, find the recipe on Inn Cuisine
There's just something about holding a hardcover book in your hands, full of your eye-popping images, that allows you to see your photography in an entirely new light...to know that it goes beyond the display on the back of your DSLR or the screen of your computer, and into the lives of people who appreciate (even love) it and are working to grow their businesses as well. 100% satisfying.
Look! I Can Walk!
I think my happiest moment of 2011 was when my photography made the transition from being something that just made me happy, to being something that made other people happy as well.
The beautiful Jenn, author of the blog, SuperJenn
It's one thing to put your heart & soul into your work and feel fulfilled, but quite another to watch it make a positive impact in someone else's life. Whether your clients & friends are using your images to grow their businesses, promote themselves, celebrate life's milestones, or display in their homes & offices just because they love seeing them everyday...knowing that your work made someone else's day, week, month or year brighter is a powerful & addicting thing.
Falls
Was 2011 all success & roses? No. I made mistakes, including: losing a valued client because I let my ego-clouded judgment get the better of me, had trusted gear die in the middle of an out-of-state shoot, and ultimately invested more time, energy & money into my business than previously anticipated. But the thing is, I didn't let any of that stop me from learning, improving & growing. I learned to see my mistakes for what they were, my mistakes, and take responsibility for them. I learned to check my ego at the door. I learned to prepare for the unexpected, because sooner or later the unexpected is going to happen. And I learned to give more of myself (and my time, energy & money) whether it was for photography-related purposes or not. And I learned that these lessons don't only apply to a photography business; they apply to life as well.
Unfurl your wings; let your dreams take flight.
Pick Yourself Up & Keep Walking
So how do you transition into a new year? By looking at the current year and embracing all of it, the good & the bad, the best & the worst, without a plank in your eye. I'm one of those people who believe that all things happen for a reason, whether we recognize the reason or not (I may be wrong...it's just what I choose to believe). But believing all things happen for a reason allows me the freedom to search for the underlying good in life's lessons & events. Yes, sometimes things do happen that seem out of our control, but more things happen that fall within our influence. Understanding & appreciating that fact is a gift you can take with you from year to year, and I plan to.
Believe in the power of making lists & setting goals. It's good to see things on paper, it keeps you focused.
Getting Ready To Run
So here's the question: Do you have any photography-related goals for 2012? I have plenty! So many in fact, I made a list. Some of them are pretty basic, like: growing my photography business (I've outlined a list of specifics), practicing & improving my craft, learning to use my current equipment better (especially before investing in new), and traveling throughout the city scouting new shoot locations. But some of my goals are more laser-focused, like: learning every nuance of lighting (as I'll be moving into my first studio space in 2012), sharing more text-based posts on this blog (so we can develop, share, learn & grow together), making time for hands-on shooting days & social events with locally-based photographers & artists (I like to think of this as enrichment time), building relationships, and finding new ways to over-deliver to my clients.
But perhaps my favorite goals for 2012 are the more esoteric ones: to keep working from the heart, to let each image I create reflect the love & appreciation I feel for my clients, their needs, and photography as a whole, and to admit without embarrassment that each day, I fall in love with photography all over again.
I cannot think of a better way to honor this craft I have chosen to call my business.
And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that have never been. ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
