Aching for Summer

give me summer.

1.  Sitting in the back of a truck bed at 9:30 at night next to a highway might not sound appealing, but when it's shared with three friends who love to laugh, we don't even notice how odd we look.

2.  Put your bare feet as near as you can to the flames without getting hurt.  Scoot your chairs closer.  Now listen.  Let me tell you a story.  It will make you laugh and it will make you smile.  Then another.  This one will make your skin tingle and you'll say you hate me for telling it.  So I'll sing songs across the flames in funny voices and I promise you won't hate me anymore.

3.  Produce covers the counters until the white tile underneath could hardly be seen.  And still buckets full to the brim sit on the ground.  "It's because of last year's drought", we say, trying to explain how so much food could come from what was planted.  The funny thing about gardening is that eating the produce isn't the best part.  No, I know the very best part is watching a friend drive away with a bag full of fruits and vegetables, knowing their dinner will consist of something we planted with our own hands.

4.  Memorize this feeling.  Don't you dare let it go.  Don't you forget what it feels like to sit on these bleachers with the friends that make you who you are.  You're watching your best friend show sheep and another friend show cows, but really, you're soaking in friendship.  You're walking around the fairgrounds and buying expensive ice cream that melts all over your hands, but really, you're soaking in summer nights.  Soak it in until it starts to leak out.  Soak it in so that on nights like this one the memories are still sweet.

> Some words about my favorite summer memories.  Some film scans from the time I bought a disposable camera to capture the last weekend of summer.  Both because it's only January 12th and I'm already aching for summer.  

The Best of 2013

I put these in order of the session date because the progression in my shooting and editing style fascinates me.  2013 was a huge year for me - the first full year of my business.  I bought my new camera in April, and from there things grew so quickly!  September, October, and November were crazy busy.  I think one of the biggest challenges of the year was learning to balance doing school, assisting for another photographer and shooting for my own clients, but with the perseverance the Lord gave me and the patience of my clients, it all worked out.

All my clients this year were either seniors or families - two groups that grew really close to my heart.  I saw how important photographs are for both.  Seniors are in a important transition year and photos help to slow that down.  Families are constantly transitioning and photos celebrate those special moments of the right now.

However, I also got to capture an adoption homecoming, which was a dream of mine.  After almost five years, one of my closest friends and her family brought their daughter home.  I cried behind my camera, and when I got home, I felt refreshed.  There's something about crying while shooting that does that to me.  I also assisted my first wedding, which turned out to be the perfect introduction to wedding photography.  Though I hope to gain more experience in this area, I haven't planned on shooting any weddings this next year (although, if the Lord wants me to, I'd be perfectly happy with it!).

I believe I really settled into my niche this year.  Not that I settled and didn't try to improve, but that I was happy with the photographs I was making.  And I waited and prayed for that feeling for a long, long time.

So, I want to thank each of my clients.  Your love, patience, and faith made this year memorable for me!
And I want to thank my friends who cheered me on and my parents who told me I needed to stop on that one weekend when I had five shoots.  You kept me sane.  :)

I'm so, so excited to call 2014 my second year of business!  Even though I'll begin school as a photography major in the fall, I am determined to continue shooting for clients.  (All my junior friends, that was for you. ;))  Hopes and dreams for this year?  Shoot more creatively.  Shoot at least one proposal or engagement session - I didn't do any this year and I've been dying to.  Shoot moments, not just poses.

And really, it's that simple.  I'm not going to over-think it this year.  I want to be an advocate for good photographs and the importance of photography.  I want to prove that this "hobby" can also be an enjoyable and fun career.  2014 is going to be good.  :)

Thank you for all your support!