Best of 2019
What you’re about to see is something so deeply personal to me. I’ll explain why below, but first - here are 50 of my very favorite moments from 2019.
2019 you guys. This has been a year that has pushed me professionally like no other year since we started this company back in 2008. It’s been so many highs and lows, so many new kinds of struggles, and so many lessons learned; but also so many exciting new things on the horizon. I’ve spent the last month or so honestly reflecting on this last year realizing the speed that life seems to be traveling at right now. Just a few years ago Melissa and I were doing this alone trying to make our way through what seemed like an industry that was knee deep in the mud. These days we’re on a highway with no speed limit surrounded by a few of the most talented drivers I’ve ever seen. We’re not exactly alone anymore. In fact the guys that I spend my days with aren’t even alone any more. Brandon’s wedding this summer, Max’s wedding this fall, Jared’s time spent split between us, the church, his precious family of four, and even Justin’s relationship getting more and more serious has solidified this brand into so much more than just a few creative guys with cameras. This year has been a challenging one in the industry as a whole as I’ve watched so many people online and all over social media struggling to find enough clientele to support the ever over saturation of professionals with cameras. All of these things really got me thinking hard this past mid summer wondering how we were going to evolve and scale and rise above in the coming year. Then I was hit with a little bit of wisdom from the people who matter to me most. The same words just kept getting used “trust and serve”. We’re not in an industry any more where we’re trying to prove we’re legit as artists, but so many of us are still spinning those wheels. Instead I’ve found myself face to face with a calendar full of beautiful weddings in 2020 with the opportunity to truly serve my clients artistically.
In the past these blogs have always been a “look how good we are” type of portfolio. Essentially the idea was to be pulling a few powerful shots together to try and quietly prove something. Truth be told I went about this altogether differently this year. I just went through and picked my favorites. Not fan favorites or ones I think will cause the most stir. Not cute images of flower girls spinning on the dance floor or tear jerk moment’s of dads on their way down the aisle. No decor pics or ring photos. But the people. The people who hired me. The people I bonded with and watched and studied on their wedding days. The moments that I remember as the ones where I got to see the love that brought it all together. The light and places and ideas that gave way to enough inspiration for me to press that button in my hands. These are the people of 2019. These are the moments that burned into my mind and kept me going when I was battling a tough year. These are the new friends, the best memories, and the people who trusted me so much to be there for them on their big day.
2020 will be all about serving our clients. Trust and serve. Trust and serve. Trust and serve. Trust that God’s got us in the right place at the right time, that our talents are enough, that our art matters, that our relationships are strong enough with each other, that we’ll grow in the right way in the right time and then - serve. Serve our couples. Serve our vendors. Serve each other. Serve just to serve because I believe firmly that the most important person in any room is the one empowering success instead of the most successful. SO : as we go into a few of the most important days of the year - days built around family and memories and celebrating something so incredibly special as Jesus’ birth - and then as we wrap up 2019 I’ll start things off by saying THANK YOU to these people. These moments. These places. They gave me the chance to pursue my passion for photography, love, and joy alongside them. THANK YOU to my family who waits patiently for me to come home week after week trusting that I’ll provide, that I’ll make time when it matters, and that I’ll keep them at the forefront of the decisions that I have to make day to day. THANK YOU to Max, Brandon, Jared, Justin and all four of the amazing ladies in your lives for trusting me, pushing me, encouraging me, supporting me, and believing in what we’re trying to do here. THANK YOU to the brands behind us and the friends that have come with those. Stacey, Victor, Paul, Alison and the list goes on and on from Fujifilm, Matt from Holdfast Gear, Sean, Jason, Steve from Bedford Camera and Video, and that list goes on and on! THANK YOU. From the deepest part of my heart I can’t wait to see what God has in store for all of us in 2020 and I pray that I have the discernment to lead and follow - to trust and serve.
