2011 New Years resolutions: a look back

I love the chance to think about the year from a big picture perspective when it comes to a close. Review the sorrows, joys, challenges, what I’ve learned, what surprises came our way–all that good stuff. I recently came across the list that I made 1 year ago. They were my goals for 2011–a big to-do list, essentially. So I decided to go through and track what happened with each of those items–what got accomplished and what got pushed aside.

So first up, here are some of the things I set out to do and DID!

–Finish writing one song. This is the one resolution I’ve blown out of the water–2011 has been a year of songwriting for me. Not only did I finish and perform my first song around April of the year (Under the Shadow), but our band Thornfield has also performed seven more of my songs. It’s been a process, but there’s nothing like sitting down with a guitar for 2-3 hours–or a number of days–and bringing a scrap of a melody that’s been echoing around in your head into full fruition.

–Overcome stage fright. It’s a work in progress, but I’ve come so far since my first gig with Carrie and Eric back in December of 2010. I’ve learned to hold my nerves at bay until the performance has actually begun (as opposed to wallowing in misery for days prior), and it’s been months since I’ve felt the whooshing, sickening “I want to die” feeling. There’s still a whooshing, and some degree of vocal instability when I first start a song, but at least there’s no longer a death wish!

–Continue blogging. Yes! And it’s all because of you lovely people who have, somehow, for whatever reason, signed up for the ride.

Some fun added things I didn’t plan on:

–The resurrection of the guitar! After studying classical guitar from age 12 all the way through my sophomore year at Indiana University, I decided I didn’t want to be a classical guitarrist. I changed my major from music to English and French, and the guitar went to the closet, where it remained for years. It came out a handful of times, but this past year–8 years after putting it away–it has come out with a vengeance. With the encouragement of my bandmates I’ve rediscovered this instrument and the joy of playing it. I’m loving it.

–My first paid photo shoots–four of them so far, to be exact, plus an almost equal amount of pro bono ones. I’ve recently changed cameras and am shooting with a Nikon D90, and I’m thrilled with the amount of progress I’ve made in the past 12 months. I can see the improvement both with my straight-outta-the-camera shots and my Photoshop processing (hopefully I’m learning about the light touch! A hard thing to master, to be sure).

And now the things I didn’t get around to:

–Making Grandma Sue’s cream pie recipe. A year ago, Aunt Laura gave me a handwritten recipe card from my husband’s favorite grandma, who died of cancer when he was a sophomore in high school. I really do need to make this, especially because the instructions read “cook until blurps.” Maybe 2012 will be the year of the blurping.

–Buy a dining room table. We decided to hold off on this and to make do with our small table–so I’m crossing this off the list with no regrets.

–Fix broken necklaces. I have two necklaces sitting around, broken and unwearable. One needs to be restrung. I even bought some wire to work on this . . . but I can’t seem to bring myself to do it. Moooooooom! Please send help in the form of your jewelry expertise and motivational abilities.

–Make biltong. That dang biltong. I think it may hang over my head forever–until my sister Heidi comes to whip my butt straight into South African culinary wonderland.

Tomorrow I’m going to set down my thoughts about this year, and what some of my hopes and plans are. How about you guys? What did you set out to do last year and get done? What got pushed aside?

My first wedding! The bride gets dressed.

I’ve only recently started offering up my services as a paid photographer. And let me say for the record that I didn’t initiate this venture. I blame my pastor, Tom, who mentioned my name and hooked me up with my first paid shoot.

I hesitate to even label myself “photographer” since I’m such an amateur, with a limited range of experience and less-than-professional equipment, but what else can I call myself when people are paying me to take their picture?

Fine! I will say it: I am a photographer. Hear me roar . . . or a least miaow.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the engagement shoots, business head shots and event shoots that I’ve done, and as you may remember, in December I shot my first wedding.

How did this come about, you may ask?

I will tell you.

Kevin and Katina loved the results of their engagement shoot so much that they asked me to be their wedding photographer.

I was flattered, thrilled, freaked out, spazzed out, and obsessed with the idea. All at once.

The idea made my head spin, as if I were contemplating a big uncertain leap into a pool from a high dive, with no promises that my bathing suit wouldn’t fly off upon contact with the water.

(For the record, that did happen to me . . . once.)

I spent a sleepless night obsessing about what I should say and what equipment I would need to purchase if I wanted to make it work.

(Sorry, must pause to have a Tim Gunn moment: “Make it work, designers!“)

Anyway, while I was intrigued by the idea, ultimately I knew that I didn’t have enough experience.

And looking back at the split second that I thought “maybe I could do this,” thank heavens I slept on it and showed some sense!

Photographing a wedding is nothing short of monumental.

It requires skill, the right equipment, indefatigable shooting for hours and hours on your feet. Crouching, leaning, bending and contorting yourself to get the right angle. Not to mention a quick trigger finger and the ability to capture that moment that will only happen once.

Right after thinking “I could do this!” I thought, “What if I mess it up? Big time?” Therein lay the question.

There’s no replay button for moments like the kiss, or the cutting of the cake.

Plus, I was already on the bandwagon–one might call it the “band bandwagon,” heh heh–to sing/drum/tambourine/strum as part of the wedding band at the reception, and I thought that multitasking might be too stressful.

So, with my heart torn, I declined.

However, they counter-offered–what if I came and took pictures of Katina getting ready with the ladies, plus candid shots whenever I had the time?

Kevin’s brother would be the official photographer, so I could just shoot what I could.

YES! What a perfect solution.

The experience of shooting a wedding without the pressure was an ideal situation.

So this post is part one of the wedding photographs.

To follow in the week/s to come, I’ll share my shots from the ceremony and the reception too.

I loved being the invisible eye witness of this sweet time that Katina spent getting ready for her walk down the aisle with the ladies in her life–her friends, her Mom, her sister.

Even this little one who gave me the Stink Eye.

(and subsequently had to be comforted by the bride herself)

It was fun to essentially be allowed to eavesdrop and oggle; to look at everyone’s faces as emotions played across them, listen to the banter, capture their expressions as the women poked fun at each other, encouraged one another, and gave their feedback on Katina’s hairdo.

It’s a great fringe benefit of photography–you get to watch.

In fact, you’re getting paid to watch.

I’ve also recently received another inquiry about my wedding photography experience, abilities and availability. Even though I haven’t officially been asked and may not be (believe me, I’m totally fine with that!), I’m having a sense of deja vu . . . obsessed, flattered, terrified . . . yes, I think I’ve been here before.

We’ll see what happens.