2017 has been a year to remember. It was arguably the most eventful year of my life, and it was also the happiest. I finished my freshman year at JMU and moved in with my teammates at the start of my sophomore year, I met more people than I could have imagined, and I worked harder than ever on my business. There are so many good things that happened for DMVPortraits in 2017, and I can’t believe how far I’ve come. Scroll down to see my year in review and my year in promise!

Out of all the things I invested in this year, I invested most in myself. I spent hours upon hours reading books, watching webinars, reading blogs, and being a student in online courses. I dedicated most of my free time to learning and practicing these skills, and since then I’ve been able to cultivate my own style and brand. The creation of this has made my business so much stronger, and my photography has never been better.

Last winter, I spent my full winter break creating my website. I made an initial website, decided it wasn’t what I wanted, and then spent weeks rebuilding and rebranding. I changed my pages even after my official release on January 14. I’ve added secret pages, changed the galleries almost monthly, and added a blog. I’m happy with my website, but it will always continue to change and grow, just like my business.

This year was also a lot of firsts for me. I started my first Spokesmodel program for JMU seniors, and I started working on a program for high schoolers in the NoVa area. I started shooting a lot more seniors and couples, and I shot my first proposal. One of the biggest steps for me this year is my jump into wedding photography: in my first season, I shot three weddings and I couldn’t be more excited. I did more portrait sessions this year than I have in all previous years combined, and I’ve shot in more new locations with new people than ever before. I’ve forced myself out of my comfort zone, and it’s made me a better photographer and a better person. This year has been all about giving myself a foundation and a style I can be proud of. My goal is that 2018 will be a year of growth from this foundation, and the strengthening of this groundwork.

I have so many hopes and dreams for the new year, and my list of goals is long but so so attainable. In my planning notebooks, I’ve broken up each of my major goals into smaller steps that I can complete so that the big plans don’t seem so unattainable. Here are some of my big goals that you guys should look out for in 2018!

The most important thing for me is to never stop learning. As a future high school English teacher, education has always been on my mind. I want to read more books, complete more training courses, learn from different photographers, attend my first workshop, and do as much as I can to better myself.

There are a few big projects that I’ve started or planned out, and I want to finish them all this year. I want to finish my style guide for engagements, families, and seniors. I also want to finish my wedding guide for my potential brides. I plan to build up my spokesmodel programs and make them much more active and a bigger part of my business. I’ve started planning more blogs about tips and tricks, and behind the scenes stories about my life and my business.

Lastly, I want to do more things for myself. I want to be more active in the photographic community, and I want to meet more local photographers. I want to make more friends in the industry and be proud to shoot alongside them. One day this year I want to collaborate with these friends and be part of my first styled shoot. I plan to travel more for sessions and for myself, get further out of my comfort zone and see more of the world and my own backyard. In 2017 I did two sessions of self portraits, and I want that number to at least double this year. Lastly, I want to print my photos. I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of having my work in physical form, and I want to display them both for the world and for myself.

As great as 2017 was, I have high hopes for 2018 and I can’t wait to get started.