At the beginning of every new year I like to sit back and make lists. My husband will tell you I LOVE LISTS! I like to write about what I accomplished and what I plan to accomplish in the coming year. So seeing as we have just made it to 2012, I find it fitting that I reflect on where I came from and where I plan to go next.
In 2011, my personal goal for my business was to master shooting everything manually and to figure out how to effectively use prime lenses. I am proud to say that I did achieve this goal. I will always feel I can learn more, but I really buckled down and became one with my camera this past year (OHMMM) and pushed myself to become a better photographer. I urge you to take the plunge if you are still shooting in AV or the dreaded auto mode. If I can do it, you can do it!!
One of my goals was to do a destination wedding. Thanks Natalie & Matt and Donna Hawkins for making me, Leigh Skaggs International Wedding Photographer!! ~Cue the spy music! 🙂 The experience was amazing and Jay and I could not have have more fun with Natalie and Matt’s Family and Friend’s in Mexico, if we had tried. I hope to do more of these in my career, not only for the gorgeous locations and travel, cause let’s be honest, that rocks, but because you really get a truly intimate picture of who the couple is when you get to spend extra time with all of the people who love them most.
Other goals that I set for myself in 2011 were to shave time off of my editing processes…(I still have some work to do here, but I am getting much faster), get some training with other photographer’s, which I did at the PSD experience, launch a new website, which we did but needs oodles of work, and I start my first blog. In my Family there are lots of wonderful writers…I am NOT one of them, so this is a struggle for me. 🙂
As for 2012, my goals are to complete some of the things above that I started but didn’t finish…keep learning more about photography, editing, blogging, websites…and I plan to learn back focusing and more about off camera flash. I would love to do some more training sessions and hope to go to WPPI in 2013. I can’t make it this year because I am having surgery to repair this stupid torn ACL.
My biggest goal for 2012 is to put myself out there more. I am a perfectionist and a control freak. I like to be right, I don’t take criticism well, and I like things to be my way. (See what my poor Hubby has to deal with…) So I will strive to push myself outside my comfort zone this year to help myself grow as a photographer. I will try to share more of my work with my peers to gain critique to help me get better!
And lastly, I plan to take and share more photos of my children. I didn’t take nearly enough this year and they are growing up WAY TOO FAST!!! I wish you all a wonderful 2012 may you have the best year yet, achieve all of your goals and have a lot of fun doing it! 🙂
