Birthday Bucket List

Image from TwigyPosts

It's my birthday. 

Again.

Funny how that works right? ;-)

To celebrate, I'm at a work function with Paul. There is a whole ball happening right on my birthday. What are the odds of that? Should be a super fun time. 

In addition to all that celebrating, I'm also celebrating by following up to last years posts where I listed out 40 of my "photography bucket list" items. I crossed quite a few of them off last year and I wanted to just kind of soak in that for a little bit this year! 

Here is the list that I posted last year and my status!! Now, I'm going to have some cake! 

Birthday Bucket List

1 // Shoot a double exposure

2 // Shoot a romantic shot in the rain using flash

3 // Shoot a proposal

4 // Shoot on a ferris wheel, ski lift or rowboat

5 // Shoot a wedding in a European country

6 // Shoot a destination wedding in a tropical country

7 // Speak at a local or national photography or business conference

YES!! The Reset Workshop in January 2017 and I will be speaking at another local workshop in March! 

8 // Start a podcast

Hint, hint...this might be checked off next year! 

9 // Write a blog post on a national or large audience blog

My post was one of the top 16 posts on Click it up a Notch! 

10 // Be featured in a national wedding blog

x 2!! Devon & David's wedding was featured on Lace & Loyalty and Carly & Sean were featured on Cake & Lace!

11 // Take a self portrait every day for a month

12 // Shoot a wedding or session in at least 25 different states (five down, 21 to go - California, Washington, New Jersey, Pennsylvania & New York) 

13 // Sell a piece of artwork 

14 // Hire an assistant

15 // Grow my mentorship/coaching program

YES! Hard to quantify this exactly, but I have had multiple mentoring and coaching clients this past year and am on track to book more going forward! 

16 // Create resources and community for introverted creatives and photographers

Coming March 1st! 

17 // Host a workshop for those same people 

18 // Teach a photography class to high school kids or young adults

19 // Shoot a session in NYC

20 // Shoot an awesome light painting or fireworks shot

21 // Have a photo place in the top 3 in a photo contest

22 // Shoot an in-home engagement session

23 // Create a resource library for budding photographer entrepreneurs

Also coming March 1st!! So excited! 

24 // Shoot an engagement session with a dog(s)

Also x2! Alyssa & Glen and David & Jess!

25 // Host a series of webinars

26 // Be published in a magazine

27 // Grow my email list to 1000+ subscribers

28 // Shoot a wedding on top of a mountain

29 // Shoot a wedding on a beach

30 // Shoot a ridiculously amazing sunset 

31 // Publish a blog post that goes viral

This post has pretty much gone viral in my opinion. It has almost 70,000 impressions on Pinterest!  

32 // Book a wedding through Instagram

33 // Have Paul join me in my business when he is done with the Army

34 // Create a 6 figure income with my business so we can give back

35 // Attend a Creative Live session in person (in Seattle) 

36 // Shoot a wedding in Seattle and Albuquerque

I did shoot a wedding in Seattle in 2016! 

37 // Shoot a session at the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque

38 // Shoot a surprise wedding

39 // Do one creative personal photography project per year

40 // Continually learn and continually teach (<---I know thats not really something I can cross off, but it's something I want to strive for!) 

The Dufresne Family // Budd Lake Family Photographer

Budd Lake Family Photographer

The first year of life is always such a special time to document and celebrate. I loved working with the adorable Dufresne family on their 1 year photos of joy and love since Josiah entered their life!!

Josiah has the cutest head of hair AND the cutest smile I think I have ever seen. I mean c'mon! Just look at how adorable he is! We had a great time capturing some images in their home in the places they love spending the most as a family and then we braved the cold and went and took a few outside in the snow. (I'll tell you though, none of us lasted very long...it was COLD!) 

We captured some great memories however and now this awesome, joyful and loving family has some amazing art on their walls to now enjoy for years to come! Some of my favorites from their session below!