Oh. My. Gosh. I literally have no idea where to begin! I have a gazillion things to say! (Is that even a word? Hahaha) I suppose the best place to start is my clients. My clients are amazing, beautiful and loyal. They're fun, creative and oh so sweet! Without them, my business would not be as successful as it is. Not just because they book all of their sessions with me, but they also send their friends and family. My clients respect and appreciate all I do for them. They welcome me into their lives and I become a part of their family. I am there to beautifully capture all of their precious moments and I am truly lucky and blessed to do so. It is such a great honor. So I feel that thanking them from the bottom of my heart is where I should start...so THANK YOU!!!
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| My models, Trista and Joey, letting me use my creative juices to write a love story with just pictures |
I also want to share some of my favorite images over the past year. The first image is not only one of my all time favorites, it was also the most popular image ever posted to my Facebook or website with the most likes and comments of any other photo...and well deserved! Here are some more of my favorites!
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| Here are some of the cute, squishy newbies I got to work with this year! |
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| And here are some of the sweet, cuddly babies I got to hang out with! |
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| Kids are the most fun to work with! Yup, the top left is my own handsome little boy <3 |
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| I work mostly with kids and family so it was hard to narrow them down! |
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| Did I mention how much fun I have at my job? Here are some siblings! |
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| Eventually my kids grow up and graduate and I get to capture that too! In fact, the lower right is my sister Mandy! |
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| Here are some of my couples. Even if it's not an actual engagement, I make sure mommy & daddy always get a shot! |
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| Besides children, families are my favorite to work with! So much love <3 |
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| Have I mentioned how much I love working with my beautiful families? I wish I could adopt them all! |
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| I have also began my venture into weddings and got to do 3 this year! Such magic :) |
You would laugh if you knew how long it took me to narrow down my favorites into 4-8 per group! I hope I never have to do that again! I love all of my pictures so much! Know that my "favorite" list is a million times longer than that!!! But it's a sweet glimpse into all of the fun things I got to do in 2012! If you can't get enough, you're welcomed to visit my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-Lee-Photography/112390968853223) or my website (www.lauraleephotographymaine.com) for more yummy pictures!
Things I Accomplished in 2012
So much has happened in 2012 that I'm afraid that even if I make a detailed list, I would still forget something! But to give you an idea, whether they were small or big accomplishments, here they are:
- I officially settled on a logo and product packaging.
- I gave my website an overhaul and began blogging (obviously hahaha)
- I added weddings to my services...though they are limited to one per month, they are still vital!
- I set a goal to expand my newborn portfolio and added 10+ newbies.
- I hosted my 1st annual Little Black Dress Party and learned a lot from it. The next one will totally ROCK!
- I expanded my product line to include twice the amount of items as last year and there's more to come!
- I began building a great prop supply and even started making some of my own!
- I started offering mini sessions for fall and Christmas.
- I scouted out lots of new locations and found some pretty amazing ones!
- I now offer private instruction and photography workshops to expand the knowledge of others.
- I changed my printing company to one of the best available with great prices and never looked back!
- I upgraded my gallery service to one with more service options and is more user friendly.
- I fell in love with working with children so much that I expanded my children's section to include "themed sessions" that let me and the child's creativity run wild! Everything from superheroes to princesses!
- I teamed up with REM and opened a non-profit organization called the Hope Captured Foundation to offer free professional portraiture to families with young parents or children with a life-threatening or terminal illness and for families who lost all of their pictures in a fire.
- I streamlined and organized my post production process and that allowed me to be able to have an album completed in as little as 24-48 hours! (I know you love me for that!)
- I was a bit too busy to offer lots of contests through Facebook, but I still got to do a few fun ones!
- I updated my portrait contract and deposit policy.
- I started offering gift registries, gift certificates and a referral program.
- I began offering payment by debit/credit right at the actual session!
- I had 214 sessions this year! Whoa...wait...did I just say 214? Yup, sure did! How exciting!?
- I'm sure there's more to this list, but I'm drawing a blank hahaha I think you get the point :)
Things I Hope To Accomplish in 2013
- In 2013 I plan to expand the following portfolios:
Newborns
Weddings
Boudoir
High School Seniors
- I also plan to build more of a maternity portfolio...that means if you know someone who's prego (even if they aren't due until August) send them my way!
- I began offering themed sessions for children on the basis that "Childhood is magical, therefore, children are." (Ahem...that's my quote.) I hope to do several more this summer so look for the storybooks to come alive! You will just die :)
- I will still offer fall and Christmas mini sessions, but plan to add others like spring, beach, etc.
- I will still offer fall and Christmas mini sessions, but plan to add others like spring, beach, etc.
- I am in the process of hiring a professional hair and make up artist to work with me side by side for things such as boudoir, high school senior girls, trash the dress sessions, etc.
- Update and add finesse to my High School Senior packages and incentive program. I will be looking for several models as usual!
- Expand my Hope Captured Foundation to make room for hiring fellow photographers to join me in this cause as well as bringing on more volunteers and work on major fundraising.
- In a couple weeks, I have a new lens on it's way! My goal is to add several more to my camera bag so don't let me spend all my money on cool props! Keep reminding me of the lenses on my wish list!!!
- I will also be hosting my 2nd Annual Little Black Dress Party aimed for May of 2013.
- I will also be hosting my 2nd Annual Little Black Dress Party aimed for May of 2013.
- I am bound and determined to finally photograph a live birth! It...will...happen! If you or anyone you know would like a beautiful black & white birth story for FREE, please contact me asap! Super serious :)
- My summer and fall are very busy, but during my down times I want to make more time to give private instruction and photography workshops! Teaching is slowly becoming a passion of mine!
- I put some of craftiness to work this year and started making my own props which include banners, tutus, crowns and headbands. I plan to continue this in 2013 and will even have an Etsy shop available to purchase some of the props I make.
- I plan on finding more ways to wow my current clients and bring new clients in with my "wow" factor!
- I am currently working on a top secret product that I will hopefully be releasing in January or February...the first major wowing of the year! I am so excited I can't take it!
- I am always open to client feedback. I don't bite, I promise! If there is a service or product you would like to see offered, let me know and I will do my very best to make it happen!
- As usual, I plan on scouting out even more beautiful, remote places for your sessions. I am always open to location suggestions as well.
- I'm sure this list will grow over the year, but for now, it's a pretty good start!
Lifestyle Sessions
Lastly, I want to share a personal goal I have for 2013. I plan on entering into the world of Lifestyle Sessions. This is different than a regular session with me. These are in the tradition of every day life and happenings. It's when I capture you in your element like your home or back yard or even at a family trip to the fair or beach. I know my clients are used to be being very laid back and striving for the same in my sessions. I love the look of natural, real emotions and moments. Most of you know "posing" isn't my strong suit (not because I can't do it, but because I don't like how staged it feels). Lifestyle gives me more freedom in natural settings. I want to be able to capture life. The photo below was taken of a little cutie pie at his nana's kitchen for a candid session. There's something amazing about making an every day moment seem extraordinary. It's those moments that touch my heart the most.
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| This is Wyatt running around Nana's house in his birthday suit :) |
There are a few lifestyle sessions in particular that I want to cross of my list in 2013 and they include:
- A mom baking goodies with her child(ren) in the kitchen...making a mess and having fun! Decorating cookies and then eating them with milk :)
- A family enjoying an afternoon in the snow. Making snow angels, a snowman, having a snowball fight, making a fort, catching snowflakes on their tongues and sledding. Perhaps topping it off with hot cocoa?
- A family or even a couple (husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend) at a county fair...riding rides, playing games, winning prizes and eating cotton candy. How fun and vibrant would that be?!
- A maternity session in your own home! Imagine shots of you and your partner or kids in the nursery, in your living room, prepping for the new baby, cuddled on the couch, laying on your bed, reading books and playing games? A sweet, personal approach to a very important event in your life.
I know some of the ideas I have are out in the public so not only will you have to be comfortable in public situations but also be comfortable with having me as your own personal paparazzi for the session. Because essentially that's what I'll be...quietly following you around with my finger on the trigger waiting to capture all of those little, priceless moments...your quirks and inside jokes...your real laughs and smiles without me forcing them :) If you or anyone you know would be interested in any of my Lifestyle Sessions, please contact me asap! I am absolutely dying to get started on this list!!! You would make my whole year!
Ok, I think that's it! I seem to be rambling, which is typical, but non-the-less...I should be wrapping this up hahaha! A big thank you again to my clients for believing in me and being so kind and loyal! Without you, my dreams wouldn't be a reality. Because of you, I get to do what makes me happy, what I'm passionate about and what I'm great at. I could never express the amount of gratitude I have for that...thank you, thank you, thank you <3
