I am always excited about the New Year. I sit down and write up New Year’s resolutions before New Year’s Eve and look at them the night of. These are typically about where I want to go, what I want to do for the coming year. This year I want to expand my photography, and travel more either for work or for pleasure. Of course I have these written down more specifically for myself but I would love to photograph a cookbook this year and more magazines and do a road trip in the Deep South, I also may go to India, we will see. I also want to challenge myself to work on new projects this year, even if I am scared of doing it.
Looking back, last year was a great year. I photographed a few more magazine covers and articles for Sip & Cidercraft. I went to Spain, which was perhaps the most exciting thing I did. I expanded to photograph for new clients and traveled to LA to shoot for an existing one. I went to Chicago for a wedding and traveled to Palm Springs with my sister. I visited my brother & sister-in-law several times in Phoenix and met my nephew. I made new friends and spent time with old ones. It was a great year but there was also some loss. My Grandmother passed away last year, but I will keep her near to my heart with the coming year. She always encouraged my photography and always told me how proud of me she was. As an artist herself, I was always so inspired by her. She had such a strong and lively spirit, definitely she was ahead of her time. I was very blessed to have her in my life.
I hope everyone had a great 2015, and if you didn’t, then 2016 is ahead of us as a clean slate. Which is why I love the closing of a year. You can start fresh. Most of us don’t realize though that we can always start over. Each day if we want to. But the end of a year is a nice symbol of that, so Happy New Year! (The pictures shown are from a hike I did with friends up to Rattlesnake Ledge right after Thanksgiving)