MEF Photography Blog! » San Francisco-Based Wedding, Family + Portrait Photography

It’s (still relatively close to) the start of the new year, and with the annual flip of the calendar inevitably comes reflection on months past, as well as consideration of what’s to come.  A month or so ago I was writing a long overdue letter — longhand and everything — to my great aunt and uncle, a pair of the most influential and inspirational people in my life — on planet earth, even.  In the letter, I was catching them up on how my year had gone since I saw them last July and I unknowingly began to chronicle my business’ accomplishments in 2009.  I couldn’t believe I’d never done this before.  I mean, I’d thought about it, sure, but I’d never written it down, and I was kind of blown away by how far I’d come in such a short period of time.

In my surprise I wrote, “I may need to reevaluate my goals for 2010 — I don’t think I’m giving myself enough credit!”  If anything, this was an inadvertent lesson that I need to keep closer track of my goals and my dreams, lest I risk setting my expectations lower than I should.  I considered just writing them as a neat list in a notebook, but I found myself delaying the task.  It occurred to me that putting it out into the world might help.

So here I am, world.  And here are some of my goals (personal and professional) for 2010:

• Shoot 15 weddings. This is a pretty darn modest goal, but it feels pretty darn perfect to me.  January isn’t yet over and I’m more than halfway there, so if I simply meet this goal or if I blow it right the heck out of the water, I will be happy either way.
• Shoot a destination wedding outside of the United States. This one is actually happening very, very soon!  (Yes, I put goals on my list that I already know will be successful.)
• Shoot a (Northern) California wedding. Having grown up there, I have this secret fantasy that my business will become bi-coastal.  So, for my mother’s sake, I’ll nurse this goal for as long as it takes.
• Create and order my studio sample albums. I’ve visualized 2/3rds of them.  Time to just get them done!
• Photograph and create a products page for my site.
• Create and order some fancy sample canvases for my office. Just have to make decisions about photos and sizes.
• Shoot more with artificial light. I have awesome equipment, but I always shy away from it in favor of natural light.  This year, I want to beg the pardon of my clients (and abuse some of their patience!) and work to use both.
• Plan and execute at least two fully styled shoots with some hot, hot models, just for me. I already have the inspiration for one!  Just need to start taking the steps to put them together.
• Foster strong relationships with at least two local vendors whose work I believe in. I want to develop a list of people whom I feel comfortable recommending to my clients, and vice versa.  Word of mouth (and the Internet) is the best advertisement small businesses can get.
• Get a jaw-dropping flare shot from every sunny session I do. Lord do I love flare.
• Find a second shooter I can rely on.
• Find a stylist I can rely on.
• Break into the high school senior portrait market. Spread the word.
• Fine-tune my workflow and WRITE IT DOWN!
• Have my work published online. Somewhere other than my own website, much though I love talking myself up!
• Create a new blog header.
• Finish posting all my old work.
• Update my brand colors. They’re close, but they’re just slightly off from my vision.
• Attend a workshop. I went to two last year, and they really helped get me on my feet.  A big part of investing in my business is investing in myself.
• Come up with three regularly-occuring blog topics, and start writing them. I’ve got two — just need to think of a third!
• Take more personal photos.
• Lose 10 pounds. Only 3.5 more to go!  This goal is going to be conquered by February.  I’ve been using the “Lose It!” app on my iPhone for a couple of weeks and it has really helped me understand my eating habits and be accountable for them.  It’s free and totally recommended.  And yes, I’m still eating ice cream every day, just…less of it.
• Drink more water. When will this not be on my goals list?  We’ll call it a chronic problem.
• Finally decide what the heck I’m doing with my hair. Long?  Short?  What?  This is the longest it has been since I was 14 and I don’t know if I love it or hate it.  Time to decide!
• Plan my parents’ 30th anniversary party.
• Find a Northern CA photographer whose work I love enough to schedule a family portrait. I’m still looking, but our last “official” family photo was taken when I was TWELVE.  This is shameful.
• Go to Iceland.
• Talk to my friend Tamara more often.
• Learn to make a good Curry Laksa.
• Invite our best friends over and make Sukiyaki.
• Finish that darn blanket I’ve been crocheting for over a year. Preferably before the weather gets warm!
• Break at least one of my two worst habits. But I’m not saying which!

Certainly there are more, but for now this is good. :)  THIS is what I want to do this year.  So, I’m going to start blogging my monthly goals (though I’m skipping goals specifically for January), because I find their articulation therapeutic.  Plus, I really, really like to cross things off lists.

I’m going to go start working on my sample albums!  What’s one of your goals for this year?