365 day project
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From 2012 to 2020!
I remember this like it was yesterday… it was about 8 years ago after I decided to go full time with photography (big leaps from the online ad space) and I booked my first successful full year of weddings and then decided it was time to have a baby!
I remember making the decision to have a baby… it was between…should I do one more year of April K Photography and really ride this awesome wave of clients pouring in and build it up big or should I listen to my heart and have a baby?
I had the baby… and then 2 more after that!
I still booked weddings and families after having Sienna (baby #1) and could manage pretty ok with editing (with the help of my in-laws who would take her a few days a week). Amidst booking more weddings and families…I decided to have another baby! Once Ethan came (baby #2) I couldn’t manage one more thing in my life and truly lost interest or drive in my photography. I was just constantly overwhelmed and the thought of shooting was daunting… not so much because of the shoot but all the post production involved. With help from family only 1 day a week it was sparse to get any time to get anything else done.
When I was trying to juggle too much… too many shoots with so little help, I became irritated, frustrated and angry VERY quickly with my kids… and one day I had enough and decided that’s not the mom I wanted to be. So instead of seeking childcare (like my closest friends suggested) I stopped booking altogether and realized this time goes by so fast, I just need to be in this moment. I needed to live this season of my life to the fullest extent.
Now this didn’t come without sleepless nights, gut wrenching conversations and never really knowing if I was making the right decision… other than, I felt in my heart it was the right thing to do. I was never a mom before and I needed to get it under control before I passed anything off to anyone else. Although social media would have you think… or at least my friends think, that being a stay at home mom came easy and it was fun for me. No, it was very very very extremely difficult. Day in and day out, 24/7, all me all day in every way! It’s not for the faint of heart that is for sure. But it’s something my mom did with me and I always appreciated it and wanted to do the same for my children. So I dove in head first…
After a bit of time went by, I started taking bookings here and there. Friends or family, friends of friends etc. But then of course… I had another gut feeling that I had to listen to and Baby #3 came along. Elle has been such a joy and I can’t imagine life without her. But with 3 now at home and still 1 day a week of help there was no way possible I could muster the energy to do much of anything but survive!
Well folks… if any of this speaks to you I’m here to tell you… 3 years later here I am… Thriving! After 2020 hit I had a LOT of time to think… about… what…I…want! Months upon months of quarantine with my husband and young children… I mean, nothing will push you to want to work more than needing a break! Am I right?!
I just needed a break!
Then I get an email… “can you shoot my wedding in 3 days? we can’t go to Aruba anymore, we’re doing it in town, hopefully we don’t get arrested", you in?” me: “hell yes! get me out of this house, get that camera in my hand and in front of beautiful bride and groom… my happy place!” It was then… out of a Covid wedding that it came full circle and I realized how much I miss and love shooting weddings!
It all worked out and I’m booking 2021 weddings, among other things, as you read this.
If you are new to photography and facing alot of big decisions… hang in there, listen to your heart and know it will all work out. Stick with it, even when it gets put on the back burner, know that it’s a skill like riding a bike, once you pick up your camera again the magic will be created!
Xo,
April
The Nifty 50
Just sticking my head up out of the water to say hi!
And also to chat about something real quick... my favorite lens. So, I've given this a lot of thought and I can't seem to find another lens that I feel this way about. My good old Nikkor 50mm 1.4... It has my heart and here's why.
It's as simple as just wanting to grab my camera, shove it in my purse and walk out the door. I often times find myself in situations where I don't want to be bogged down by a lens bag or the weight of a bigger lens... (pretty much all of the time). I know for professional shoots I need to have a few options with me, but for my own personal projects, I just want the ease and simplicity of one camera body and one (small) lens.
When I first started it was the only lens I purchased (because it was the cheapest). I bought a 50mm 1.8 which only cost about $120. I had SO MUCH FUN with this lens. Because it wasn't a zoom lens, it taught me to move around the room instead of being lazy and standing in one spot. It also taught me to break down the wall that is sometimes created between photographer and subject with a tighter lens.
I have shot entire weddings with this lens (in the early years of April K Photo, see examples below). It was wide enough to get family and group photos and tight enough to get details on the bride. It worked for portraits, details, on the dance floor etc... It works in so many situations for subjects near and far.
I have since purchased quite an array of lenses (and other equipment that I may or may not use). I have used each lens intimately to really understand what I can do with it... and although I prefer certain lenses for certain situations, the 50mm is my all around "show pony".
What is your favorite lens and why?
The Nifty 50 in action, close enough for portraits and far enough for the whole crew... (the first wedding I ever shot, solo back in 2010).
Goals for 2015
{Audience: Photographer, mother, taker of pitcha's}
While my husband {who's very business saavy} asked me what my 2015 business goals are going to be my reply was... to survive. hahahaha, no seriously! With 2 young ones around here I have no idea what my life will be like. I'm certainly prepped for the shoots I've already taken on, they're in my mind, I'm prepared to execute perfectly... but bringing on new jobs is not in my wheelhouse at the moment... in turn I'm coining this year my "discovery year"... I want to have a more open dialogue with other photographers so we can learn and grow together. In my discovery year I want to discover new parts of photography that i've never explored and push myself to learn new tricks. Most importantly, I want to share it all here on my blog with you!
...so here we go! Below are my 2 top priority goals for 2015 that I want to share with you...
1. Perfect my personal photo filing system
of course I have my own unique workflow in order to run my business efficiently, but what about my personal life?
{my goal} - have a beautifully archived year in photos printed, album style. So my files need to be easily accessible and organized in one place so I can dump them into my album builder at the end of the year. I'd like to curate this selection more over the years... but for now, she's growing so fast I want them all!
{how I plan to achieve} - I just updated my external hardrive with another trusty (so far so good) Guardian MAXimus so this is perfect timing. Here is the path I will use to keep everything easy to locate and in order.
2. Try having a newborn shoot at my house
{my goal} - I am creating a trustworthy and quality brand which means my work needs to be on point (as always). To have consistent work my lighting needs to be consistent and I need to know it well. I know the light best in my house and even more so in Sienna's sun filled playroom {which I've strategically purchased all furniture to be white so it bounces light even more :)} I think it would be the perfect location for a newborn studio but the thought of having customers in my home freaks me out a bit... mostly because I'd have to clean 24/7! So maybe I can test it out to see what in all needs to go into having a home studio and will it be worth it to me financially.
{how I plan to achieve} - well what'dya know?! I'm about to have a newborn here 24/7 so I can test the lighting out on him... if it works then I'll invite a client over and see how it goes!
That's all for now folks, stay tuned and check in with me to see my progress... until next time,
AK-47 {what my old field hockey teammates used to call me, hehehe}