Cliche as it sounds, it feels like only yesterday I was looking back at 2016 and reflecting on my year and my wedding photography work. And so it comes time to do it again, as we move into 2018 – I’m a little belated in posting this, but only for good reasons which is nice. I allowed myself a proper break over Christmas and am now hitting January feeling refreshed and motivated – I’m even attempting daily yoga, let’s see how long that lasts! One of the great things about being self employed doing what you love is that coming back to the office doesn’t require too much kicking and screaming, and you can keep eating the leftover Christmas cheese supply without anyone judging you.
2017 was another good year for me, and brought with it some more firsts. My other half Mark and I purchased our first home here in Harborne in December 2016 so last year was primarily about nesting (and updating the most 80s bathroom that has ever existed). We and the cat have been settling in nicely, and the house felt like home very quickly. We’ve adorned the walls with photos and mementos from all our travels, I’ve now got a proper office, and we’ve had lots of evenings with friends and family in our new space. My hair is now a bit pinker, the cat is now in her terrible twos, and my passport has had another couple of outings this year.
Another first this year was the opportunity to shoot a destination wedding in Mayrhofen, Austria. Those who know me will know I’m not usually one to voluntarily go somewhere cold (I’m all about the sun despite being the palest person ever), but even I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shoot in such a perfect location. I was working with my best photography pal Dani Salmon and we had an absolute blast. Shooting destination weddings is definitely something that appeals to me for a couple of bookings a year, as I’m so at home when jumping on a plane and disappearing somewhere interesting for a few days. There are so many advantages to the couple too – you’ll know your photographer speaks your language, you can plan everything and meet me in advance, and you’ll keep clear lines of communication open before and after the wedding. Give me a shout if you’re considering a destination wedding and would like to explore taking a photographer with you.
Closer to home, I have been lucky enough to have another year of awesome clients who have had some kick-ass weddings. I love the diversity I see in my clients – I see all kinds of venues and styles and themes, but the thing they all have in common is nice people having fun. I’ve got plenty more to look forward to this year and I can’t wait. I’ll be seeing more new venues, travelling all over the UK, ticking things off my bucket list, continuing with my goal to see as many dogs at weddings as possible, and most importantly of all trying to give every single client the best memories of their day that I can. I’ve been featured on Love My Dress, Rock n Roll Bride, Save the Date and am now part of the absolutely fantastic Un-Wedding.
I’ve also been working for my photography family, The Finishing Touch, as a freelancer. I love being part of the FT gang – we work crazy hours, at a mix of English and Asian weddings, and we have a ton of fun doing it. Working for yourself can occasionally be a lonely job, so it’s really nice to be part of a team as well.
Helping capture memories and fleeting important moments through wedding photography is the best job in the world. I’ve collated a few of my favourites from the year – a mixture of the little moments that are otherwise missed, trends and themes I enjoyed, couples in love, hilarious guests, beautiful venues, cute families, and whatever else made me smile when I looked back. I’ve seen cheese towers, wedding pork pies (always a winner with me), ska bands, fez hats, croquembouches, bridesmen, best women, mismatched outfits, couples walking into the wedding together, ring bearing dogs, inflatables, festival flags, barefoot brides, spontaneous singalongs, handfasting, and so much more. I am so excited to see what this year brings.
So that was the year that was. Looking forward, I try and make sure I’m developing (pun a little bit intended) year on year. I try and learn as much as I can, and I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings me in terms of opportunities and knowledge. I don’t do New Years Resolutions but my goals for the year are to get better, stay creative, tell stories, and give my clients the best experience I can give them to continue to love my job. I also hereby pledge to keep jumping in bushes to get the perfect shot, come up with more corny jokes to make my couples laugh for the camera, fall over amusingly at a minimum of one wedding per season, have only minimal wardrobe malfunctions, bring only sensible healthy snacks to weddings (yeah right), eat less cheese (even less likely), and without fail pull a stupid face if I see a camera pointed at me (thank you Dani for always managing to capture ridiculous photos of me at weddings).
If you’d like to have your memories captured and have fun doing it, get in touch and let me know. Come on 2018, let’s have you…
What a fab year Jill. Lots of fab frames.