2012 | Year in Review
It's impossible to welcome the new year without looking back and relishing in all that was the previous year. A year is such a short time in the grand scheme of life, but thinking about it in terms of 'review', so much occurs within those 365 days.
Life-wise, Aaron and I continued doing what we love:
Travel.
Visiting wineries.
Learning about new small towns.
A little home improvement.
And a new family addition.
A new website and logo. So much has evolved since the beginning of our business, it was time to tweak our branding and reinvent our website.
We decided on letterpress stationery to further convey our company's brand.
The promo video.
Let me preface this by saying I do not like being in front of the camera. But I really wanted to get myself out there and show my potential clients who is behind the camera. So I took a deep breath and went full force ahead. I had the perfect couple for the video. They are SO comfortable with each other and in front of the camera, plus this wasn't their first rodeo.
Let me preface this by saying I do not like being in front of the camera. But I really wanted to get myself out there and show my potential clients who is behind the camera. So I took a deep breath and went full force ahead. I had the perfect couple for the video. They are SO comfortable with each other and in front of the camera, plus this wasn't their first rodeo.
Kinda scary, but probably pretty realistic as to how I usually look during sessions :)
This shot is great. It shows the true craziness of this shoot. I had Aaron come along for support, but also to document. So I couldn't resist this shot of me documenting them documenting me. And yet my couple STILL rocked it out.
Feel free to check out the final product.
Which brings me to the final, best, and biggest change. Aaron second shot all 17 of our weddings this year. Last year he assisted me at a few weddings, but never picked up a camera. With a few lessons, he caught on unbelievably fast and is capable of shooting in full manual. As a side note, not all photographers who shoot weddings use their camera in manual. I have since the beginning in order to achieve the look and exposures I want, so I'm extremely proud of him for conquering this task as well. He has become one of my most important assets. While I'm documenting the bride getting ready, he's with the guys. While I'm shooting bride and groom portraits, he's focusing on the details. While I'm shooting the bride and her bridesmaids, he's with the groom and his groomsmen. A lot of photographers use second shooters since it alleviates a bit of the time strain weddings seem to incur. But not all of them get to work as a husband and wife team. I feel beyond blessed that he has taken so well to shooting weddings. He supports me, reads my mind, and takes amazing shots. What more could could I ask for.
Since he's such a huge part of what I do, I decided we needed a few head shots for our website. I did a session swap with the wonderful Lauren Michaels Photography and couldn't be happier with the final product. We haven't had professional photos of ourselves in almost 6 years (since our wedding day!). So it was time :)
Here are a few shots of us working together. Please keep in mind the havoc shooting weddings can wreak on a girl!
Did I mention he's easy on the eyes, too?
The rare engagement session shot.
There you have it - 2012. It was a wonderful year, but I am even more excited to see what 2013 brings. I have a short goal list and I figured if I share with you guys then I'll be accountable :)
1. Blog more and blog better. I definitely want to share way more personal musings on here. Sessions and weddings are fun to look at, but it's always nice to know who the people behind the pictures are.
2. Even quicker turn around time for all galleries. We pride ourselves on pretty fast editing, but there's always room for improvement, right?
3. Work on a separate portrait and wedding website. There was a time when I considered only shooting weddings and no longer families, newborns, children, maternity, etc. But, seriously, I love documenting ALL aspects of love. So, instead, I decided I need a separate wedding site with all wedding stuff and a portrait site that is geared more towards families.
4. Continue to work on consistency with my branding and packaging.
5. Continue to grow our business, while focusing primarily on our clients and not concerning ourselves with what others are doing in the industry. This is a toughie. It's SO easy to compare yourself to others and forget what makes your business unique.
Stay tuned for our favorite photos from 2012 blog post coming up this week!!
PS: Yes, I REALLY love that striped scarf :)