Last summer was amazing. I hit my goal on weddings booked and learned sooooooo much about where I wanted to take my business that there was nothing but excitement for this year. Knowing that I was moving in the direction of targeting my ideal clients. Knowing that I could book that many weddings and more this coming year. If I did it once I can do it again. But honestly that kind of scared me. As fun as photographing weddings is, there is a lot of work involved. Many don’t even realize how much. The thought of possibly photographing 25-35 weddings and the work that followed them really didn’t sound exciting at all. Reality is that after shooting several weddings weekend after weekend I go into routine mode. Often leading to being uninspired. No matter how amazing the wedding or clients are I need something to rejuvenate me. To breath life into me.
After thinking this through I knew 25+ weddings just wasn’t for me. And in the future, 20 weddings isn’t going to be for me. I decided I would limit the number of weddings each year. Taking on less so I could experience more. More with each client. More with my family. More in my adventures. This decision instantly made me feel like I was taking advantage of life. Choosing to live it.
This weekend it poured rain. Our weekend outdoor projects were put on hold. But an idea with two of our best friends took flight. We had talked and discussed a trip camping together. I LOVE camping. But over the last few weeks the idea of backpacking would sneak it’s way in. This week it became VERY clear that the 4 of us wanted needed to go backpacking this summer. And as the rain poured down we met up at REI. Choosing new backpacks. Discussing water filters, cooking utensils, best clothing options, smaller tents, pillows, etc. Hours of looking and discussing with our 3 children running circles around us. Then it moved to our house as pizza cooked we pulled out maps and planned out our summer adventure. With 16 weddings in 15 weeks this summer I’m pumped for a long weekend away smack dab in the middle of the season. Time to disconnect with the world. Reconnect with nature. Breath in the crisp, clean air. Experience something new. See things we haven’t seen before (other than in pictures of course). Come back inspired and ready for the rest of the season. This is what I want forever. Good news is we’ve already determined that the 4 of us have some serious passion for backpacking and getting out into the backcountry and exploring. And each year we MUST do a big trip and we must go bigger than the year before.
I’ve found some sort of balance in taking less to experience more. I’m highly recommending it at the moment. Try it 🙂 With that cheers to experiencing more in 2013!
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