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The New Year is always a time of reflection, and right now we have a lot to reflect on! In 2018 we found out we were having a baby (and welcomed him into the world!), changed jobs, and moved states. Benjamin was born three weeks ago, and between that adjustment and moving three months ago, I still feel very much like we’re in transition. That’s why I titled this post “A Year of New.” It’s going to be a year of making new friends and finding new rhythms and patterns; the new normal. As I think about 2019, I’m excited about the possibilities, excited about what life (and my business) could look like by the end of the year. I want to share some of my thoughts and excitement with you!
First, my business. For the last 5 years I’d been splitting my time between my own business and the communications office at Southeastern. While I miss that job and my co-workers something fierce, I’m excited about being able to focus on being a mamma and a business owner. I’ve put a lot of thought into what I want my business to look like moving forward, and while I’ll still be doing mostly wedding and portrait photography, I’m planning to expand my scope to include a few new things. My goals are to be able to do more work from home so I can be a full-time mom and to find new avenues to use the skills I learned in the communications office at Southeastern. Last fall I started doing both!
Did you know a lot of photographers outsource their editing? It frees them up to focus on the client experience and big-picture vision. But someone has to edit all those photos. Last year I edited 4 weddings and a few portrait sessions for a fellow photographer during her busy seasons, and I’m excited to take on some more editing clients this year. If you’re a photographer and are thinking about outsourcing, let’s talk about it!!
I also did a few freelance graphic design projects last fall. I did a lot of graphic design at Southeastern, and I really enjoyed it, but I don’t have a ton of opportunities to use those skills in my business anymore (all the big projects are already done, I just swap out pictures periodically). My vision is to connect with local businesses/churches here who might need occasional contract work for big events or need help re-branding. I have some ideas on how to get this ball rolling, and I’m excited to see where it goes!
I also have a lot of work to do to just get into the portrait and wedding game here. I’ve never moved a business like this, and it’s a little bit daunting to think about starting over with building up a client base. But I know a LOT more now than I did when I started in NC 6 years ago, and I’ve got a list of things to do once I start getting a few more hours of sleep a night again 😉
Stephen’s working hard to get settled in his new job at the church, and we’re both making new friends. I know it will take a while to feel like we’re settled, but we’re getting there. The most important thing we’ll be doing this year, though, is learning how to be parents. I get the feeling that it’s something you never really “learn,” but we’re so, so thankful. There are of course challenges that come with having a newborn, but Benjamin is outgrowing some of his newborn clothes already, and I’m keenly aware his tiny little hands and feet and sweet baby snuggles won’t last forever.
My next few blog posts will include a lot of the photos I’ve taken over the last 6 weeks, starting with our maternity photos we took just a week and a half before Benjamin was born. I’ll share some photos from the hospital to introduce you to Benjamin as well as our Christmas photos and his newborn photos. I’ve been keeping my real camera on the coffee table so I can take pictures whenever something adorable happens (which is all the time), but I haven’t been as successful at keeping up with editing them. I blame the sleep deprivation. Just know there will be LOTS of baby pictures coming soon, and happy new year!!
