Memories of 2018…

PSA, I wrote this as a recollection of the year for myself, but wanted to share because I’m sure my mom will read it.

The last few years, I’ve taken some time off in early January. Once the craziness of the holiday season has wound down, and Anna is on break from school.. we always take a few days off together, and it’s my favorite way to start the year.

Last year we ventured to Calistoga to a little gem of a place called Golden Haven. Golden haven is a small spa + inn that offers spa services like mud baths, in room tubs, etc. We decompressed, got a mud bath (you’ve gotta try it!!), swam, and soaked our way into relaxation while eating local cheese.

What a way to start the year, with a clear head, soft skin, and some quality time with the one you love and are about to marry! Our spa break was not only to decompress post holiday, but to have a relaxing couple days before our wedding in April.

I limited shoots the first few months of the year since my mind was all over wedding planning. I met Ashley, a fellow photographer and portrait giveaway winner, shot my friend Emily’s daughter’s one year photos (and will be shooting her 2 year photos not long from now), worked with Misty of Wild Heart Beauty shooting portraits of her and her team and beauty product line, shot The Blog Bloc at the Urban Hive for the first time (which I would join UH a couple months later).

Anna and I got married in April, and it was more beautiful and fun than I could have ever dreamed of. If you’re curious about the wedding, there’s an entire post about it here.

After our wedding, I felt more like myself than ever. I didn’t realize how obsessed with the wedding/planning/details I’d become, so it was nice to decompress. We actually went back to Calistoga for a mini moon, and stayed at a cute little inn called The Bergson. We soaked it all in, reminisced our favorite moments, and got to relax for a few days.

Just two weeks after our wedding, I was back at the same place we got married for Katie and Chris’s wedding. May and June stayed pretty consistent with headshots, including mural portraits with Kachet, coffee with Desiree and Britton, Tidy Revival photos, more portraits, family photos, and Maddie and Andre’s wedding. I also joined the Urban Hive coworking space!

Since May and June were pretty busy, it was the perfect time to relax in July… because our honeymoon was finally here! Anna had July off from teaching, and it’s quite hard for me to work when she’s home in the summer because all we want to do is go swim and soak up the sun. We went to Kihei in mid July and it was incredible. There’s a Maui guide and all of our honeymoon details here. I don’t know if it was the sound of the ocean, or the aloha lifestyle, but it was in Maui that I decided it was time for me to go full time freelance in 2019, a goal I’ve been working toward for a long time.

We got back from our honeymoon, and I got right back into weddings that weekend.

Didn’t have too many weddings in August this year, which I didn’t mind because it was so hot, but I did stay busy with portraits, FitCrawl, Kaniff Cosmetics, The Blog Bloc, etc. I got to hang out in the Sacramento River delta for a week while housesitting for a friend. It was lovely.

September and October were the crazy months this year, and honestly, November and December were not far behind. It went by in a blur. I was apart of 10 weddings between Sept and October alone, and think I had about one weekend off in total.

And here we are now.

I have less than a month left working for Parabo. They have been amazingly supportive of my transition into full time photographer, and were okay with me basically giving a 6 month notice. I wanted to finish up the year with them to make sure they’re in good hands (which they are).

On top of working full time most months, growing a business, planning a wedding or being a newly wed, I got to be apart of so much love and document so many moments. I’m so thankful to the couples that have chosen me to document their love story, and thankful to the people that have brought me along to document.

I did a count and was apart of 22 weddings in 2018! 22!!!! 23 if you count my wedding!! Big thanks to Hailey Ayson Photography for bringing me along to second shoot 6 weddings (plus she shot our wedding. I’m so thankful for our creative friendship), Capture Create Studios for making me an associate photographer and Elegant Events Media, Wes Davis Photo, and Bree Rivers photo for having me shoot with them.

While weddings are my focus, I also love portraiture, events, family photos, content creation and more. I had about 40 additional shoots. 40! I can’t believe it. Hopefully I can double that number next year since I’ll be able to shoot any day of the week. (Please tell everyone you know seeking photos!)

I can’t believe it.

I want to remind myself that I’ve been working at this for a long, longggg time. I got my first DSLR camera in 2005 and had no idea where it’d take me. Even after graduating photo from CSUS in 2010, I had no idea where it’d take me… but 8 years later, I’m doing it. Don’t give up on your dreams when it gets hard, or when people tell you they don’t think you have it in you. “Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.” Always learn, always grow, always get better. Keep your ego aside, and don’t compare (it will literally steal your joy). We’re all on different levels, and we’re all just trying to learn and grow and do this thing called life together. Pardon my ramblings, I’m ready for my days off in January!