I had all of these goals where photography was concerned for 2016, like making it a more legit part of my site, getting a logo to watermark my work, and switching over to photoshop for editing. I didn’t accomplish any of those things so we can just call this resolution a huge failure. Still, despite that, I don’t really feel like I failed at photography in 2016 because my camera and I certainly were insanely busy.
In 2016, I did seventeen standard shoots, shot five Birthday Parties, one Relay for Life Event for charity, and one 1st Communion and once again I had to turn people away during the busiest time of the year because there was no way I could take on more clients that late in the year and promise them edited pictures back in time to ship out Christmas cards while still working a full time job. Turning people away is the WORST feeling. I’ve gotta be proactive about this next year and advertise my availability further in advance so people don’t wait until it’s too late to ask if they actually are interested.
In addition to that, I do really need to work on the resolutions I set last year for photography. I think what happens is that I don’t technically start shooting much until Spring and it doesn’t last long and then I get unbelievably swamped again in the fall through the end of the year and I guess my goals are sort of out of sight/out of mind until I’m living and breathing photography like that and then I find myself regretting not having taken the time in between to handle these matters. I even had people ask me for gift cards this year, but there was no time in the heat of the season to work on it and once it slowed down, it’d completely slipped my mind. That’s business I’m losing because I’m not utilizing my downtime to prepare for the busy times better. I’ve definitely got to work on this in 2017.
I’d also really like to expand my portfolio a bit in 2017. I would love to get into stylized shoots, like with elaborate sets and costumes – perhaps with a cosplayer or something. I did a semi-stylized pregnancy shoot this year and I loved having free reign to ‘create’ in the wild like that. I’d also really love to do some more charity based shooting, specifically for special needs kids and/or rescue animals. And I’ve had several people interested in the idea of offering photoshoot parties, like for boudoir photography – a sort of mini session where ladies can sip wine and socialize while being glamourized for a shot or two.
Hopefully with better planning on my part, I can make my resolutions for this year and last more of a reality by the time 2018 is here.
As always, I’m incredibly grateful for my clients, new and old, who push me out of my comfort zone and trust me to capture their most important moments in life. To receive my work on a Christmas card or be tagged in someone’s new wall art arrangement featuring family pictures I took is the highest form of flattery a photographer can receive and because so many of them did this in 2016, I’ve felt more like a legit photographer in this past year than all the years before it!
I’ve posted all of these shoots individually here throughout the year, but if you haven’t checked them out, you can view a few of my personal favorites from each by clicking the image below.
