It’s been six months since I hit the “publish” button on my business Facebook page and Leaving A Mark Photography was live. It was a defining moment for me. One of those moments where your mind and your heart are somewhat at odds with each other and you know that there is no turning back. That Facebook page made it feel very official for me. My business was now a public page and not just something in my mind. I was no longer just talking about it, I was actually doing something about it. It was out there which meant that I was out there. Scary and exciting all at the same time.
I’ve been thinking about this ½ year mark for a week now and knew that it would be good for my soul to capture some of my thoughts. I am sure I will look back at this and laugh at myself, but it’s a good reminder that we all need to start somewhere and measuring progress is a good thing. So here goes…
Newborn photography is WAY harder than it looks.
I typically like my candid shots better than my posed shots.
I photographed my first High School Senior and loved it!
Facebook is a HUGE part of my business – awesome and not awesome at times.
I have completed 18 photo sessions in 6 months. My original goal was to complete 12 in my first YEAR!
I am drawn to real, everyday life photos and clean editing.
I found PASS – awesome digital gallery display.
I am set up to accept credit cards now! Thanks wepay.com.
Shooting in RAW used to scare me.
I upgraded my camera – from a Nikon D300 to the D700.
My husband is my biggest cheerleader and the first person I go to for technical support
I started a business Instagram account – thanks to my daughter, Hailey, for the inspiration and encouragement.
I started entering weekly photo challenges about 4 months ago and just received my very first feature (weekly top 10) last week!
Good editing takes time and practice. I am constantly learning new things in Lightroom.
Learning to juggle and balance a business from home.
Constructive criticism is so helpful.
My website is a constant work in progress.
The to-do list will always be there.
I have taken more photos in the last 6 months than I did in ALL of 2012.
Having a "vision" is good as long as you are able to adjust your "vision" when shooting kids/newborns!
Finding your style takes time.
There are only so many hours in the day and I will never be able to do it all.
Mistakes sometimes create the best photographs.
I recently read this article that talks about beating the common insecurities that block your way. Written by a photographer about photography, but her message can be applied to anyone starting anything new. Loved the section on being your own unique self and how everything has been done before. Really great words of advice. My favorite part was the final line: “Get moving and get out of your way”.
Have you tried anything new lately?
