I can not believe that the 2017 year is upon us and like many of you, there are resolutions and ideas that I hope to implement for the upcoming year. One of the things that I love about Minnesota is the changing seasons. Spring through fall as photographers, we are running like crazy, and the winter, (as cold as it is today… can we say -8!!) forces us to be inside, reflective and s-l-o-w- down.
Thankfully I had the month of December to really think back on what went well and not so well in this past year, and access what I wanted to focus on for this next year. The more blogs and books I read, the more I see that when I write something down, I am so much more likely to DO those things. And when you have accountability with another person, you are at an even higher point to reach those goals and resolutions! I am unclear on all the stats, so I am not even putting numbers in this post, but know that it was overwhelming! I have seen it true in my own life, and looking back on the 2016 year, I am amazed to see how those goals and aspirations turned into real life actual things.
Some of the things I hoped to accomplish last year helped me to figure out and push forward to know what to look for this year. Revamping my web-site, creating branding and marketing materials, a wedding magazine, a styled shoot, and x number of weddings and shoots were just a few of the things on my goals list that I crossed off my list and made happen.
Other things, like a newsletter, books I wanted to read, making headway with finances, connecting with vendors, submitting sessions and weddings, and purchasing gear went to the wayside because of a few choices that needed to be made as the year progressed.
Goals and resolutions are things that we aspire to and work toward, but they do not define us or make us who we are. They can help us to move forward toward tasks, but when life gets in the way, I have learned that it is important to be ok with not reaching or attaining to those goals.
All that said, here are my business goals for the 2017 year and I hope that when I look back on this post the first week of January 2018, I will be able to look back and see these goals reached!
- Purchase a new lens
- Create a monthly/ if not bi-monthly newsletter
- Blog at least 3-5 times a week with one special focus day
- Connect social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to those blogs
- Photograph another styled wedding shoot
- Connect with at least 2-3 other wedding vendors a month
- Create social media calendar
- Photograph a wedding in another state or country (besides Wisconsin!)
- Submit weddings and sessions at the end of each month
- Learn more about my camera and attend at least two educational seminars in the world of photography this year
- Create some kind of mentor session- (not sure the details of this, and still working through how this would look)
- Shoot x amount of weddings, newborns, and family sessions and make x amount per year. (I have this number written down, but feel comfortable not shareing on the internet for personal reasons!)
I have a few other personal goals that I am working toward and will definitely be sharing more as I work toward my goal of blogging more. What are some of your specific goals for the new year? I can’t wait to hear, and be cheering you on as you move forward in achieving them!
1) Use the veil. There are so many times while a bride just wants to take out her veil when the wind is gusting, but my advice to you would be to keep it in (at least for a while!) Use this to your advantage, to wrap up in, let it fly and open it up to create leading lines to a face while helping clients remember what the elements of the day felt like!
2) Walk or face into the wind. Hair will fly backwards and veil will fly upwards or sideways. Use this to capture movement and memories.
3) If you are photographing clients, specifically girls, I LOVE having shots of hair flying all over the place. Oftentimes this brings a carefree look and feel to the photo that I think perfectly captures the age. 
Hope that helps a bit as you prepare to use the elements that the day brings you and helps you see why even a windy day can bring out some of the most beautiful photos.
