This year (ahhh I mean last year – am I the only one who makes this mistake so much during January?) was one of the most amazing, crazy and hectic, eye-opening, stressful, fun and warming and most surprisingly exploratory kinda years for me. So much has happened and I am so grateful for how it panned out.
So this blog is fairly new (as I had a rebrand back in July 2015) so some of you may not know but I have been shooting weddings since 2011. This past year I have had the most amazing job of capturing couples special day! I can hand on heart, every day, say I absolutely love what I do. I am so grateful for the people I get to meet, the opportunities that come from shooting weddings, the suppliers who I can now call friends, the amazing places in this country I get to go to and now beyond!
I started 2015 living in London with a full time job, working 60 hours a week, booking weddings and shooting them at the weekends, editing after work till the early hours of this morning. I have known for a long time this was all I wanted. To work for myself, to be able to be a photographer full time, to be able to solely dedicate my time and energy to my wedding clients. For last couple of years, for one reason or another I couldn’t make the jump. I am not a massive risk taker, and to me leaving my full time job was a decision I couldn’t not just make overnight.
In March, I decided I wanted to up and leave my job that year. I was unhappy, tired all of the time, not enjoying life, so I made the decision I would invest in a business mentor. To say that I am pleased with this choice is an understatement. not only investing in my business, but also as me, a person, an entrepreneur, a photographer.
Low with confidence, stressed and busy all of the time, this decision to invest in myself in my business completely transformed us both, and that’s when I made the decision I would be leaving my job, 6 months from that point. A busy summer with weddings, exploring the UK and travelling to amazing places I hadn’t been too before. I also was very fortunate to be able to travel to Norway and France for my photography.
So now we are in a New Year. 2016 is starting for me as a Full Time Wedding Photographer!! Living back in my hometown in Dorset on the South Coast. I also have a new puppy! An introduction post will be coming very shortly, I promise! But this means I am out walking every day for an hour, rather than on a grotty commute for a hour each way to work. I am so grateful for this change in my lifestyle, its been ahrd work to get here, and I am so touched by the support of my closest family and friends.
London will always have a special place in life, memories, friends, favourite spots and brunch place. But being back home, near family being able to walk along the amazing coastline our country has to offer. Who says you need a hot holiday to get glorious beaches….just a shame about the British Weather!
I know its very popular within the community to do a flash back, a review of 2015 if you like. But this year, as its a new start for me, I wanted to do a post for going forward! I am so excited for this year and what it has in store and the amazing couples whose weddings I am shooting. So I thought I would share with you guys my New Year’s Resolutions – please let me know yours in the comments.
Blog more. I’m really enjoying blogging at the moment and want to blog as much as I can this year – I also have some really exciting projects that I am working on which will want to keep your eye out for!
Think positively and keep an open mind. I’m a pretty positive person anyway, but I sometimes I do let things get me down or get on top of me. So this is definitely something I want to work on and not worry so much.
Travel. This is my favourite one! I love seeing the world and exploring new places. Im kind of cheating on this one as I already have an EPIC trip planned to America with my boyfriend. We are doing a road trip down the West Coast of the States!! So excited! Just a few places that are on my to see list is Prague, St Tropez, Bali, Croatia.
Learn a language. I love the idea of learning another language. Some of my family are Spanish, and I would give anything to be fluent. I should have paid more attention in Spanish class, but it is also hard if you don’t live with someone who speaks Spanish, or practise it often. However, I will also be spending more time in France in the coming years, and when I head of skiing in France I wish I could speak French. So French is definitely on the New Year’s resolution/goal list for this year!
Launch my print store. Which is so nearly done! I absolutely love photography. Weddings is very high up there in what I adore to shoot, but I also try to shoot for myself – granted this hasn’t happened much over the last year – but embracing my move to the South Coast and my love for the beach, I am bringing to you a store filled with beautiful imagery of the South Coast that you will definitely want hung up on your wall! So not only will this be pushing me business wise, starting something new, but also shooting more for me and the photographs I love to shoot when I am not at a wedding!
Don’t forget to leave your resolutions or goals in the comments I would love to hear them!
Much love, Charlotte
