THANK YOU to my photographer friends!

Today I went out to run some errands and I was reflecting on the last year and my business (I think I was thinking about taxes (UGH) which led me to this lol).  Anyway, I was thinking about what a huge year of growth this was for my business, it’s HARD to run a business!! For anyone who is considering it, go for it but know that it’s not all fun & games.   For example, if  you love taking pictures and you have that “touch” and decide to bring in some extra cash doing something you love, just be ready for the hours and hours you will spend on the business-side of your business.  I had NO idea what I was getting into, and THREE YEARS later… I made a profit.  I guess most businesses work that way, you invest a lot of time & money before you are rewarded.  You learn along the way, make mistakes and fix them, grow and eventually (hopefully) prosper.  I feel very comfortable behind the camera, but not so much being a business woman lol!

So onto the point of my post.  As I was thinking of all of this, I realized that it wasn’t just my “good eye” or a new camera or lens that made this a good year for me.  It was a group of colleagues (mostly women now that I think about it), other local photographers who I met and grew very close with, that made the biggest impact on me this year.  It’s funny because there could be competitiveness between us, we could be rivals right? I mean, we are competitors technically…  but we all have our own styles, niches, ideas, & goals.  And most of all, the desire to help others and have a fellowship amongst ourselves rather than try to be better than each other.  This is long, so I hope I don’t lose my readers here LOL!

I want to thank these friends and fellow photographers, for PUSHING me, CHALLENGING me, TEACHING me, gently GUIDING me, and sometimes hitting me over the head with a brick, haha.  (click on their names to see their amazing work)

Thank you to Willow for your help & company on this journey (and the brick) and for loaning me your speedlite a billion times (as well as other things)- I will miss your company & personality far more than your flash when you move!Thank you to Julia for a TON of great advice, opening your home to us, and for helping me get started with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.  Thanks to Rashmi for always answering my questions, giving me great advice, & a killer holiday party.  Thanks to Ingrid for the speedlite lessons, great pictures of my kids, & many hilarious times (like IKEA &  Christmas sweaters!).  Thank you Marta for answering my questions also, hooking me up with local locations, yummy yarn, editing tips, & playdates.  Thanks to Susan for the newborn referrals, great convos, & crazy night out.  Thanks Erin for comparing business notes with me and being my roomie at WPPI (woot woot!).  Thanks to Stacy for your friendship as we figure this all out and to Tiffani, Tisha, & Armin for great workshops!  Thanks to my brother (not local but still so important) Aaron, who always helps me and has my back!  And lastly (I know she thinks I skipped her) thank you sooooo much to my buddy Beth from Sugar Rush Photography for the THOUSANDS of emails back and forth (I’m not exaggerating) brainstorming and bouncing ideas off of each other, for the shoulder to whine on when needed, for being the second shooter when I was panicked, for pushing me when I needed a push, and for just being my partner-in-crime on this road of business-ownership!   And others who I have so enjoyed getting to know this year, esp in the SS/PNO group! I love all of you guys and in addition to the business help, I appreciate your friendship so much!!

In the same nature of all of the guidance I have received, I always try to pay it forward.

I just simply marvel at the generosity and altruism of a group of people who could be rivals, but instead are friends.  XOXO

And some snaps of us (3 of these were taken by Ingrid Kaslik, always documenting she is)