Farewell 2019!!! Cheers and Welcome 2020!!!
Well, we made it through 2019. There’s no doubt that in many ways, it was an “interesting” year. It’s no surprise why people would feel this way. I too am one that would love to leave 2019 behind in the dust lol!!! Before 2019 started I wrote out goals that I wanted to accomplish before the end of the year. I'm please to say that even though 2019 was a rough year for me......I WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF MY GOALS. By the time July hit I was well off my rocker lol, I was so far from a place that I wanted to be in I would have not thought that when I accessed my business the other day that I not only reached my goals but in some areas I surpassed them.
Going into 2019 I knew that I wanted to work on making the business side of ELJ Photography exceptional. I wanted to train, get mentored and invest in myself. While many people would think that photography is just taking pictures (well I thought it was too), it's so much more than that. I had to learn about workflows, processes, contracts, copyrights, editing, location scouting, effective customer service, taxes, cost of doing business, etc. I could go on but I think you guys got a good understanding of just the little bit it takes to succeed as a professional photographer.
One of the best decisions I made (after researching so many) was signing up for mentoring sessions with THEE Toni Shaw (She's a pretty BIG deal). Man she's a phenomenal photographer and (now) friend.....she can't get away from me. She's taught me so much in this year but I'm sure she doesn't even know how much she's been an influence. I don't want to copy cat her work because she's in a league of her own but I can tell you every time I shoot it's with confidence and I owe that to her for giving me the blueprint!!! I can't tell you how important it is to invest in your craft. The improvement in my work from when I started up until now is due to the investment I put into myself. I treated this year as if I was in school. I had class (Youtube University, CreativeLive, KelbyOne) every Wednesday evening. It was important to me to not just be able to shoot but to be able to provide a 5 star service to my clients or future clients. I wanted them to want to come to me for more than just pictures but for exceptional service beyond what they would get somewhere else.
With all that I had going on in 2019, I'm welcoming 2020 with open arms. I pray and hope that I will be able to build a solid client base with exceptional business practices. I'll still hold on to my Wednesday evening training sessions. I have to evolve more than what I have already done. I'll continue to be mentored. I'll continue to be focused and add having fun on top of it. This year has taught me about gratitude. I'm grateful for everyone that allowed ELJ Photography to capture their 2019 memories. I'm looking forward to capturing more memories for you in 2020. Thank you for being apart of my journey. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. I pray you too get all that you desire in 2020! I'm rooting for you.
With Gratitude - Elaine L. Johnson
