More resolutions plus a few favourites from 2014.

Back in November, I got together with a few other wedding photographers to talk shop.  So much of what we do is done in isolation so it’s really nice to hang out with folks who really speak your language.  Without an agenda, we mostly just sat around and chatted about real hot-button topics such as photo printers, photo software, photo books, etc..  You know, stuff you can just talk about for hours.

One of the other photographers, the awesome Catherine Farquharson, was showing us some books she’d recently made.  It just was the tip of the iceberg.  In addition to all the books she makes for her clients, turns out she also makes a book every time she goes on a trip and each year she makes a yearbook with her Instagram photos too!  Mind.  Blown.

For years, my own photos have lived on hard drives.  And that’s it.

In retrospect, it does feel a bit crazy to think that I went through all that effort.  Carrying all that gear or constantly pulling out my phone, here and everywhere — just to capture those perfect, precious moments.  Then, once nabbed, they can just live on as mere pixels, buried under tera-mountains of other pixels.  If I was never going to look at these photos again, why bother taking them in the first place?  Do I really enjoy all this endless scrolling on my phone?

Catherine’s stack of photo books left me inspired.  And galvanized.

I’ve since decided I’m also going to make a book of every trip I go on.  And I am going to start making my own yearbooks too.  There are so many photos that I love but just had nowhere to live.

Now I’m building them a house.

I’ve started sifting through the archives, pulling out all my favourites.  Doesn’t matter if it was from a job, a vacation or a late Sunday afternoon spent on the couch with our dog.  As long as I loved it, it made the cut.

I saw some photos that I’d totally forgotten about.  But luckily for them, I’ve decided now that I want to remember.

(Here are a few photos from my still-in-progress 2014 yearbook!)

Oh, why hello there 2013! I didn’t see you standing there….

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I know, I know.   We’re almost at the end of January so it’s really way, waaaaay too late to be wishing anyone a happy new year.  But I don’t care.  This is my first post of 2013 and I haven’t see you in awhile.  So there.  Happy 2013.

So.  Where have I been you ask.

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A look back.

2012 was an amazing but also challenging year for me.  I experienced one of my busiest years ever which was, as you can imagine, a double-edged sword.  On the one, I was blessed to work with such fabulous clients.  I heard some of the sweetest love stories and was present for so many beautiful and unique weddings.  Also, I had some really great editorial / documentary / portrait projects thrown in the mix too which really kept things really interesting and fun.

The flip side meant that I was so continually and constantly busy with work that I didn’t have time for anything else.  All of my other great loves (like writing, going to Bikram yoga, napping with Jeans) fell by the wayside.  Even in my dreams, I would be hastily compiling To-Do lists for the next day.  I was busy in a way I didn’t think was possible nor did I ever think myself capable of handling.

Of course, I love my job and feel so lucky to be able to do what I do.  But having time for proper rest and rejuvenation is equally important if I want to continue to do my job well.  This is not a sprint; it is a marathon.

Even the holidays were a bit of a non-holiday as both the Husbo and I were not only busy with the requisite family stuff but were also gearing up to be exhibitors at The Wedding Co. Show, which took place at the Carlu a couple of weeks ago.  What I had hoped would be a dreamy one (or even two!) weeks off ended up turning into what basically felt like a long weekend.  Which, given how much I had been working, was nice — but in the end, still nowhere near long enough.

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Catching my breath and taking in the view.

Thankfully, the last couple of weeks have offered plenty of breathing room.  I’ve even taken a few days off and hit a couple of yoga classes.  I’ve also been sleeping in and it has never felt more glorious.

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Looking ahead.

I’m still in the process of figuring out specifics on what I would like for 2013 but to begin with the obvious, I want 2013 to build upon the foundation that 2012 and the years previous have already established.  I want to continue to expand, explore and evolve creatively; I want to continue working on becoming a better photographer; and I also want to continue to offer the very best service, care and attention to all of my clients.

But I also want to make sure that I carve out some time and space for myself.  I feel it’s one of the many the paradoxes involved with doing creative work: only if I am kind and generous with myself can I be the same for others.  Of course, I don’t exactly know how to do this yet so I suppose another currently amorphous goal is to become a master at time management.

With specific regards to my blog, this is another thing that I’m not entirely sure about just yet.  I’m not thrilled that 3 months have passed since my last post but I’m also not sure how often I can commit to posting.  So if I can continue to be so indulgent, let me get back to you on this one.  Hopefully soon.  But probably not tomorrow.  Just saying.

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Regardless, thank you so much for stopping by.  Whether this is your first visit or your hundredth visit, I really appreciate it.

I hope 2013 is a great year for us all.

See you soon.