Earlier this week I celebrated the anniversary of officially launching my photography business. Anyone who owns a business knows it's a lot of work, especially early on, but there are always memorable moments that make you smile when you look back on them.
All of my sessions have their magical moments where I'm just in awe of what's unfolding in front of me, but I want to share my favorite 7 moments of my first year of my photography business.
1. Kari climbing this wall during our Urban Ballerina shoot.
Kari is a photographer's dream in that she's down for just about anything to make the photo memorable.
I didn't even prompt her to climb this wall! We were both immediately drawn to it when we saw it and she just started climbing it and posing. So of course I started snapping away and ended up with some of the most beautiful shots from our session.
2. Krystal radiating infinite confidence during her boudoir maternity shoot
I was so excited for Krystal's maternity session because the space we were planning to use was beautiful and boudoir maternity sessions are my favorite.
But what I wasn't prepared for was how Krystal completely slayed her maternity session. Is there anything more beautiful than a woman preparing to bring life into the world and totally owning that space? I don't think so.
3. These magical blue hydrangeas that made a perfect backdrop for portraits
I saw these blue hydrangea bushes in my apartment complex and immediately knew I wanted to use them for a photoshoot.
Initially they didn't seem like an idea place to take photos, but any space has the potential to make a beautiful backdrop with a bit of creativity and vision.
4. This engagement session when I told Ryan + Victoria to pretend they were lovers in a movie and to run to each other, embrace passionately and kiss each other dramatically - and they totally went for it.
When you're a photographer, there's nothing better than photographing someone who completely trusts your vision and just goes for it.
So it should be easy to understand why I was so ecstatic when Victoria + Ryan were totally down to pretend they were characters in a romantic film running towards each other in a field. The results were perfection and so worth it.
5. These perfectly color-coordinated bridesmaids walking out to the wedding venue in a perfect line.
How do you resist shooting a picture when a group of bridesmaids are not only perfectly color-coordinated and naturally carrying their bouquets in the same way AND walking in a perfectly unplanned line?
You don't. That's how.
6. Finding this bamboo forest + nature making me feel small
I have wanted to find this small bamboo forest in the middle of Atlanta for soo long, and I finally had the opportunity to visit.
I knew it would be magical, and that's exactly what it was.
Nature had no problem reminding me of just how small I am in this world as I tilted my head back to see the sun burst through the leaves and listen to the sound of the bamboo stems swaying in the breeze, bouncing off of one another.
7. My self portrait being chosen as a finalist in the Voice competition and seeing my work published in a magazine.
Although this isn't a client session, it's still a moment during my first year of business that I'm extremely thankful for, and a bit surprised by.
Self portraiture is an awesome tool for self-expression, and having my work resonate with others so deeply that it was chosen as a finalist for a competition was overwhelming, humbling, and exciting all at the same time.
My first year officially in business was full of teachable moments that I'll continue to carry with me on my journey and I look forward to capturing even more magical moments that I'll share with others through this passion of mine.