2018 was a year for the books. It’s hard to believe how much I crammed into one year, and can’t believe it’s already new year’s eve! It truly was the Best Ever Year of Brooklyn Boudoir, and I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you who follows along regularly and trusts me with their boudoir experiences.
Here’s a short review of the year!
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS
Some of my favorite images (that clients have given me permission to share) from this past year:
TOP LIKED INSTAGRAM POSTS
TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS
2018 took me traveling to Miami (twice!), New Orleans, Boston (twice!), Los Angeles (twice!), Boulder Colorado, Charleston, SC and an awesome visit to Collective Retreats on Governer’s Island, which felt like a world away even thought it’s right in the middle of NYC. So far for 2019 I’m working on dates for my next LA trip (sometimes mid-winter) and am planning a 40th birthday trip (!) to Paris!
WHAT'S NEXT?!
I’ve never been much of a New Year’s Resolution girl. I pretty much try to be my best self ALL of the time and don’t care to beat myself up over a lapsed resolution. HOWEVER, I do have lots of ideas and plans for myself both personally and professionally and my goal is to achieve at least some of them this year.
In 2019 I plan to...
* HOST MY FIRST PAST CLIENT EVENT, SHOOTING FINE ART NUDES IN MY FANTASY STUDIO. Sorry, ladies, this is for past clients only. First timers really need the whole experience before diving into mini sessions. I plan to hold one or two of these each year and I’m really looking forward to this first one!! (it’s happening in just 6 days, and it’s going to be A M A Z I N G !)
*Be interviewed for a documentary about working mothers — we are such an important part of the population and the subject of motherhood in America needs much more attention! I’m not sure when the film will be released but I will keep you all posted via instagram and my newsletter (which you can sign up for on the sidebar to the right if you haven’t already —->)
*TRAVEL as much as I can. Traveling has always been such a big part of my life and something that always brings me great joy. I am so grateful to have traveled as much as I did before I had kids, but I still feel that itch to do more — there are still so many places I’d love to see! Luckily my little one is great on planes so I want to get more adventurous with our travels both for business and pleasure.
*Put myself out there a little bit more. Guys, I’m all about straight up instagram but the other social media platforms are just not my thing (I’m still waiting for someone to explain snapchat to me, sorry if that makes me sound like a grandma). I love making connections with my clients and realize I can start that process even earlier by getting on Instastories and showing my face a little more. I’m going to need some help with this one so feel free to keep me accountable!
*Offer mentorships. This is something I have wanted to do for some time now, and have had several requests for in the past. I just always prioritized my clients and my customer experience before everything else and didn’t feel I had the resources to take on a mentor. HOWEVER, when I was in Boulder, CO this last November for a boudoir photographer’s retreat, I met so many incredible artists all of whom were helping each other out. It was inspiring, and made me want to share the love as well. I plan on giving photographers a very thorough and customized experience when it comes to their business coaching, just as I do with my client shoots, so I will only offer a handful of mentorships a year. So if you are a fellow photographer looking to step up your game, give me a holla and let’s chat!
*EDUCATE THE $%&@! OUT OF MYSELF. I have always loved being a student — and a good one at that. I really love to learn and have studied with some of the best boudoir photographers out there, including Kara Marie, Christa Meola and Lola Melani. I plan to continue to study photography for as long as I'm shooting. I want to enhance my technical craft, and continue to push my creativity to keep my work fresh and improving it every year.
*GIVE EVEN MORE TO MY CLIENTS. I'm always looking for new ways to make my clients feel extra special. From customizing a location just for them, to following up with them years down the road to congratulate them on new life events....client relationships are really important to me. That's not just something I say. So, in 2019 I'll be fine tuning the client experience even more to give them alllll the warm and fuzzies.
*HAVE MORE DATE NIGHTS WITH THE HUBS. Being a working mom is hard, and in an effort to take better care of myself, my clients, my kid and my business, my husband tends to get the boot. Something’s got to give of course, but I miss the days when we would go on weekly dates. However busy life got, we always used to go out on Fridays and often did something unusual around the city. Weekly dates aren’t really feasible right now (the cost of a babysitter doubles the cost of the night!) BUT I have to believe that a monthly date will be good for both our relationship and my psyche.