2013 Resolutions

At the end of last year, I made a few resolutions for myself. This past year has been great for me and the business, but how did I do on my resolutions? Let's take a look...

- Take a risk, every single day. I started off pretty strong with this one. I kept a journal of the risks I took. I even made a Pinterest board for inspiration. But eventually, I found myself getting busy with regular life and not tracking my risks. I don't think it became a conscious habit to take a daily risk, but I know that I did end up taking some risks last year that ended up paying off. Nothing backfired and went tragically wrong, so I guess either I wasn't taking big enough risks or taking risks just isn't that risky. 

- Shoot more personal work. I definitely shot more personal work in 2012 than I had in any previous years. One huge reason was because I really got into phone photography. Another is because I continued shooting lots of film. I'd definitely consider this resolution a success!

- Focus my business and business goals. This past year I definitely ran a more focused business. I changed my website to only showcase weddings and high school seniors. I started saying no to or referring away jobs that just weren't me. And you know what? I had a ton of fun and am still in business. Success!

- Network, network, network! This one was huge. I wanted to attend three networking events per month and I'm pretty sure I was very successful with that. Denver has such a great community of photographers and entrepreneurs, it's easy to attend a great event every week if you want to. I said it last year and I'll say it again this year... I just wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for the wonderful people in my network.

So, it looks like I kept my resolutions pretty well last year. What should I resolve to do in 2013? Here's what I'm thinking:

- Continue taking risks.  Even if I'm not taking a risk every single day, it's good for me to work at the edge of my comfort zone. I will keep taking risks and when an opportunity arises that causes my mind to pause and makes my heart beat fast, I want to grab it, hold on for dear life and see where I end up.

- Don't be scared of change.  I need to trust that not everything is going to work out according to the master plan that's in my head. Instead, things will happen as they should. Change will happen. I will welcome and embrace it.

- Keep on networking!  Not only is networking good for my business, it's a great form of personal development for myself. It's time to meet more people who aren't photographers. I also want to meet and work with more local photographers who I admire. Nothing has contributed to my business and personal growth like networking has. I see no reason to slow down now!

Ready? Go!

2012 Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions... you've got to have them, right?  Last year I decided to get serious about the business and my resolutions reflected that.  Before I get into my 2012 resolutions, let's see how I did on 2011's:

- Work harder at directing, not just photographing.  I feel like I did a pretty good job here with the high school seniors I worked with and also at the weddings I photographed.  Of course, I'm not directing every little detail, but I'm happy with the balance my style has taken.

- Continue to grow and maintain my network. I definitely continued to grow my network and it had an enormous impact on my business!  Not only that, but I've met some amazing people as well.

- Be more selective about who I donate time to.  I actually said no to a few organizations who asked me to donate my time.  Don't get me wrong, if I could donate to every organization I believed in I would, but there's only so much of me to go around.

- Join some organizations.  Last year I joined the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce and absolutely loved it! Not only did it help to grow my network, but it also connected me with some amazing business owners who continually inspire me.

- Develop the business side of things. Definitely nailed this one.  I feel like I have a much better grasp on the business side of things than I did last year at this time.  Is it weird that I'm actually excited to crunch some numbers to see how I came out for the year?

OK, so last year's resolutions were handled pretty well!  What's in store for 2012?  Let's just see...

- Take a risk, every single day.  I came up with this idea way back in November.  I took some risks in 2011.  Most of them were pretty painless and some of them even paid off.  What might happen if I took a risk every single day?  I'm not talking walking in front of a bus or anything crazy, but what would happen if I said what was on my mind a little more often, if I made a phone call or sent an email I might be hesitant to make or if I took some shots during a shoot that I might typically skip?  We'll see.

- Shoot more personal work.  I've really enjoyed shooting film this year.  I'm planning on shooting much more in 2012 for my personal work, as well as setting up some personal shoots.  The inspiration and freedom that comes from shooting for yourself can not be matched and are invaluable in my development as a creative individual.

- Focus my business and business goals.  I see myself taking on fewer events and families in 2012 and taking more weddings and high school seniors.  It's not that I don't enjoy events or families, but I really want to focus my work.  With my business goals, I already know what my general numbers are and what to aim for, but I want to be more engaged on a regular basis and know if I'm on track to make all of my goals for the year at any given point in time.

- Network, network, network!  This has been one of the most useful things I've done for my business and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.  In 2012, I want to attend 3 networking events  (and I use the term "networking event" loosely) per month.  

Wish me luck!

2011 Resolutions

Last year I made some resolutions.  This year I am going to do the same.  Let's take a look at last year's and see how I did...


- Stop apologizing for my camera. I did a pretty good job with this one.  I think my photos speak for themselves and most people don't really care what kind of camera they came from.

- Get organized. Hmmm... this is a little iffy.  I didn't get super organized, but at least I have systems that work for me.  There's always room for improvement, though, so consider this an ongoing project.

- Learn to "read" photos for lighting. I think I did OK with this one.  I didn't really push myself very hard, but I didn't really have a need to.  Fortunately I was busy enough to not have the free time to do this.

- Grow and maintain my network. I didn't really start working on this one until later in the year, but it's definitely grown since last year.  Success!

- Get out and shoot more!  I didn't really get out that much, at least not for personal work.  Once my 365 was done, I didn't have very many reasons to head out for photos.


This year I'm going to change things up a bit and get more serious.  Here are my 2011 resolutions:

2010 Resolutions

So I lied. This will be my last post for 2009.

I was thinking about some things I wanted to accomplish in the next year and thought, "I should make some New Year's Resolutions.". Then I thought, "Hey, that might make a good blog post!". So, here we go... my resolutions for 2010.

- Stop apologizing for my camera. I have a Nikon D90. It's not the top of the line camera. It's really not even considered a "pro" camera. But you know what? It's awesome! It does everything I want it to do, it's never missed a shot and it takes great photos. I'm sure when I get a new camera I'll upgrade to a pro body, but for now, I love my D90 and will no longer refer to it as if it was a lesser camera.

- Get organized. The most basic but most complicated task. I'm pretty sure this one is sink or swim. Get organized or get out.

- Learn to "read" photos for lighting. This is a very personal goal. In an attempt to grow and develop my skills in the studio, I want to look at a photo and be able to figure out how it was lit and recreate that setup. I see much frustration but many great rewards in my future.

- Grow and maintain my network. I'm really bad at this. Just about anything will be an improvement.

- Get out and shoot more! It's so easy to dig around the house or walk out into the yard and find something to take a picture of. I need to get in the car, drive somewhere and photograph this amazing state that I call home!

There you have it. Those are my five resolutions for 2010. Hopefully they'll develop into some good habits that last for many years to come. Have a safe and happy New Year!