2020 — A Wedding Photographer’s recap
2020 started off pretty awesome.
This time last year I was basking in the Jamaican sun, overlooking the Caribbean sea from my room, feeling swell about the current circumstances I found myself in. Moments from heading downstairs to join the family I was working with and hopping aboard a Catamaran cruise, I took a deep breath. Life was good.
Oh, how things have changed!
But seriously, I’ve had a decent run this year.
In February, I got to shoot my first destination wedding, and had an absolute blast. There, I also shot photos+video on the same day, which turned out excellent. I’m super proud of how the family provided me with so many wonderful comments about my work after the fact, and how professional I was during the trip. I took on that job with an earnest desire to leave them with great memories in the form of photos+video, and for me to hit the mark, it’s an awesome feeling. It also really spurred my confidence for the rest of the calendar year.
The next event I shot was a small wedding in Galt, near Waterloo, ON. It was actually done during wedding party restrictions policy which allowed only 10 observers there, including vendors. Also, it was done in a photography studio. How awesome is that? Big windows let in gobs of soft natural light which made my job easy. I even took a BTS video here.
From that point forward, it seemed to get worse as far as the spread of COVID-19 went. Numbers kept going up. There were a few scares and worries within our own household, and I was tested three times. Thankfully all results came back negative, for all of us. However, me or my small business wasn’t in the clear.
As the spread increased, postponements started rolling in. What was supposed to be a fairly big year for me at twelve full-price weddings booked, I only got to shoot seven, and near the end were mostly small, discounted affairs. I’m grateful that only one wedding was cancelled, and that I still got booked and had opportunities to produce great work and further build my portfolio.
October was, and usually is the busiest month for me. Everybody seems to want to get married, take engagement pictures, and sneak in family pictures.The fall colours really do make for a wonderful backdrop. Although I pride myself in having the ability to create stunning images anywhere, I have to say, these sessions are always the easiest. Parks, waterfalls, a local spot with trees — it’s all serene and natural and really make for fun candid photos. I was busy every Saturday and Sunday in the month of October.
All in all, it was a step forward for my little company. I was able to transform my main gallery page for weddings, as I shot with a brand new full frame camera this year as opposes to last year’s Fuji sensor. I travelled to the Caribbean. I shot a BTS video, and did many stress-free micro weddings that although paid less, were also less taxing on my body at the end of the day. I didn’t make nearly enough to invest in top of the line gear, but I also realized the gear I have now is good enough. Taking a step back from GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) has done wonders, because I’m forced to work within my own parameters.
