2020 Reflections

We all had goals, hopes, and a vision of how glorious 2020 was going to be. I don’t need to be the one to reiterate that it definitely didn’t go as well all planned for the most part. Life went on; students graduated, lovers exchanged vows, anniversary’s gained another year, and new babies were brought into the world.

Business wise, I was so excited for this monumental year. I had booked an international wedding (was super pumped to travel to Europe), was going to dive more into film studies with a mentor, and was ready to witness more weddings than years past. I remember in April being hopeful that weddings and celebrations would carry on as usual, they just had to. Then wedding after wedding postponed to 2021, plans changed, celebrations shrunk in numbers. Some chose to carry on with their celebrations and alter their original guest lists, while I still made the cut. I heard so many times that it gave people a chance to reflect on what they truly wanted their weddings to be and feel like compared to what they originally had in store, not a single person regretted their decision. I like to think that this year has backed away from the idea of such a wedding “show” and has focused in on the love that the couple have for each other and everyone in attendance.

I loved the weirdness of this year. I got to be awkward on facetime with friends and strangers I had never met, attended bridal showers with my camera, and I spent time in so many backyards because of closed venues. I toyed with film in my free time and even at a few weddings when I was feeling gusty. I loved these moments of realness I shared with everyone and could not have asked for better clients to walk through this year with.

In January of 2020 I made the decision to focus my business goals on one word “closeness.” I shit you not, I am not making that up. I wanted to get closer to subjects physically, to capture the small exchanges that often go unnoticed. I wanted to get closer to understand people’s stories better and to then capture their truth better than before. So on embarking into 2021 I have that same goal, get closer — and just when you think you’re close enough take another couple steps.

Cheers to the end of another year and to the memories we are to make in the New Year. These are some of the unscripted, unprompted, and completely candid moments of 2020 that I had the utmost privilege to witness. I made it a goal to pick one photo from each session, wedding, or celebration I witnessed… but may have thrown in a few extras.

Thank you humans for being perfectly imperfect.