January 1st is always one of my favorite days of the year - a day to reflect over the past year and dream about the year to come. I know that it is technically no different than any other day, but it still feels like a clean slate. A fresh start. 2019 begins my 9th year in business, and as I reflect on my journey and think about my goals for the next year I thought I would share some of that here today.

The past few years have been transformational for my business, and I am so excited to look back at the journey today! After moving to the farm and having my fourth baby, I was hit with the reality that photographing weddings no longer made sense for our family. At the time it felt like a huge blow, but I knew that I wasn't ready to give up on my business so I shifted my focus to portraits and hoped for the best.

The move from weddings to portraits felt strange and awkward. I had a huge case of imposter syndrome and I had a hard time feeling like a legitimate portrait photographer. I spent about a year tiptoeing around and trying to figure out what to do, but having no idea where to begin. If I am really being honest, I never loved or had confidence in the majority of my portrait work. I had taken photos and had sessions over the years that I felt proud of, but when I compared my work to the work of others I felt like it was lacking. It was so disheartening to see photographers who were producing work that I LOVED and to look at my own work and feel so much disappointment.

I spent some time feeling sorry for myself, and then got to a point where I realized that I had three choices - 1.) quit, 2.) continue taking photos that I didn't love, or 3.) stop feeling sorry for myself and figure out how to change my work into something that I do love.

What did I do?

1.) In mid-2017 I began by searching out artists who inspired me. Whether it was their use of light, or posing, or shooting style, or editing style, or whatever else, I immersed myself in studying work that made me feel something. Then I went back through my own past work, searching for photos that I took that I loved. I wanted to discover what it was about those photos that I was drawn to, and how I could replicate that feeling in my future work. (More on this below.)

2.) I signed up for classes. So. Many. Classes. I took classes about editing, posing, business, marketing, serving my clients better, and so much more. I read books and listened to podcasts and tried to soak up as much knowledge as I possibly could. I learned SO much through this process and I will be sharing more about the classes that I took and some of my favorite takeaways in a future blog series!

3.) I submitted 50 of my own photos to the Shoot and Share contest in early 2018. This was such a humbling experience, but SO VALUABLE. I actually felt good about the photos that I submitted...until I saw the incredible work of the other artists in the contest. I was BLOWN AWAY by the level of talent, and I was so inspired to improve myself after seeing so many amazing photos throughout the span of the contest. I didn't win any prizes or even place in the finals, but the experience itself was invaluable and I am counting down the days to this year's contest!

4.) I tried to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. Whether that was mixing up my normal lenses or looking for new points of view, I wanted to challenge myself to create art in new ways.

“If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips your heart out - that’s a good picture.” ~Eddie Adams

I finally reached a turning point in the second half of 2018 where I began to see the changes that I had hoped for in my work. I started creating photos that I loved, and began to feel like I was carving out my own little niche among the countless photographers in Colorado. Does this mean that I have "made it?" Heck no! So much of owning a creative business is the continual process of growing, improving, and evolving, but to finally be producing work that I am proud of feels like a victory in and of itself.

What does this mean for my business moving forward? I have realized that photographing families and newborns, and the relationships and details within those sessions, is where my heart is. I will probably still photograph the occasional senior portrait session or maybe even a wedding here or there, but from now on I will be placing my focus on lifestyle sessions for families and newborns.

My hope is that in 2019 I will be the best version of me that I can be - as a wife, a mom, a photographer, a business owner, and as a human. I want to continue growing and improving and ultimately serving my family and clients to the best of my ability.

Most importantly, I want to end this post by thanking you all for your support over the years! If I have had the pleasure of photographing you in the past 9 years: thank you! If you have followed along on this journey of mine in any capacity: thank you! Your support and encouragement has meant the world to me and I truly wouldn’t be here doing what I love without you. I wish you all a joyful and blessed New Year!

~Laura

And because no blog post would be complete without photos, I have created a couple of collages of just a few of my favorite photos from years past. I mentioned above that I went back through my older portrait work in search of photos that I loved, and I have included some of those below. I chose some of these because of the connection or the moment that was captured, some because they exuded joy, some because of the bold and vibrant colors, and some just because. Now that I look at these photos as a whole I can see that they were slowly leading the way to my current style (bold, vibrant, joyful, connection-based.)

(If you want to see some more recent work, you can see my favorites from 2018 in this post!)