Welcome 2016!

As we are nearly 1 week into 2016 I’ve been mulling over what I hope to accomplish this year. Writing the numbers 2016 hasn’t seemed to shock my system the way it normally does… wanting to keep writing 15… instead, I keep seeing things regarding 2017 that keep shocking me. That just seems like 4 years away! I’m at a conference this week, and on the program they already have the “save the date” for next years conference….. in 2017. Anyway… this is irreverent. So here are my goals (in no particular order) and some more of my favorite images from last year…. all shot for Julia Wade at Bald Head Island or Lonesome Valley (all detail, non-identifying images).

1. Continue blogging each Tuesday. I made the commitment back in September to blog each Tuesday and have kept it up! Even through vacations I managed to get it done. I’m proud I stuck to it, and will continue to do so this year. Perhaps I’ll get bold and add Thursday… we’ll see!
2. Learn more about the power of social media…. yes, we all know the logistics of posting, tweeting and instagramming…. but when is the best time, what are the best hashtags? I’m trying to learn more.
3. Shoot an elopement/small wedding in SoCal. My cousin lives in San Diego and we hope to visit her family in mid-late April. So, if you know someone tying the knot out that way, I’d love to be considered to photograph it! I’d probably cut them a bit of a deal… and their would be no travel fees!
4. Continue to shoot more film. I looooove film (all the images in this post are film)…. I think my clients are starting to realize this and aren’t so shocked when I whip out a funky-looking camera.
5. Try out different film cameras and learn more about “pushing” film.
6. Sort and organize files… Over the years I’ve worked between 3 different computers, and while my 2015 files are in good shape… the ones prior are scattered! My poor desktop is horribly outdated, so it’s going to take a small army to clear it off, organize all the backed up files and update it. YIKES.
7. Attend more industry events and get to know more people in the Charlotte area (in an out of the wedding industry). I love to go out and have a good time, but I am an introvert at heart… which keeps me home on the sofa a lot. While my schedule seems hectic sometimes, it’s not always filled with productive things. My schedule should only be filled with meaningful engagements!
8. Spend more time at the beach. 2015 was a busy year, but it kept us away from the beach a lot…. we missed out on lots of perfect fall weekends because we were tied up doing other things. Which might make #9 hard….. maybe if I could just book Wrightsville Beach, Figure 8 Island, Wilmington, Southport, and Bald Head Island weddings…. we could kill 2 birds with one stone! I’ve shot some weddings here and would looooooove more! (NO TRAVEL FEES!)
9. This is not new news… but I would love to book 8 more weddings for 2016… taking us to 10. This will greatly help our adoption dreams come true!!   So… CHEERS 2016! I cannot wait to see what all you have in store for us!