Best of 2019 // Elopements + Adventure Sessions // Western US Adventure Wedding Photographer
We absolutely love doing this annual round-up! It's so fun to go back through the year, pick out some of our best work, and put together all the random stats. This year, we will be doing two installments: Weddings, Elopements, + Adventure Sessions, Our Personal Adventures, and an end of the year Instagram Round-Up! You can find the 2019 Instagram Round Up Here, and the Personal Adventures post will be out next week!
Our Previous Round Ups can be found here:
2016 Weddings, Sessions, Couples in Love || 2016 In Review (Personal Adventures)
2017 Weddings + Elopements || 2017 Adventure Sessions || 2017 In Review (Personal Adventures)
2018 Weddings + Elopements || 2018 Instagram Round Up || 2018 In Review (Personal Adventures)
» AT A GLANCE
We photographed 29 Weddings + Elopements and 29 Adventure Sessions (total coincidence!)
» AS SEEN ON
Heart + Hustle Podcast // Digital Camera World // International Wedding Photographer of the Year Awards (X2) // Green Wedding Shoes Top Weddings // Green Wedding Shoes Top Instagram Posts // 100 Layer Cake Best Elopement Locations // Insider // Business Insider // Country Living // LOOKSLIKEFILM Best Wedding Photographers of 2019 // Austin Woman Magazine // Wilder Mind Podcast // Heart to Heart Podcast // National Park Elopements by Green Wedding Shoes // The Dyrt // The Photo Argus // Camille Styles // Huffpost Weddings
» WE VISITED
10 COUNTRIES: USA / Switzerland / Germany / France / Italy / Austria / Liechtenstein / Canada / Iceland / Mexico
14 STATES: Texas / New Mexico / Arizona / California / Nevada / Utah / Idaho / Montana / Alberta (Canada) / British Columbia (Canada) / Yukon (Canada) / Alaska / Washington / Oregon
12 NATIONAL PARKS + MONUMENTS: Dolomiti World Heritage Site / Canyonlands / Arches / Zion / Bryce Canyon / Capitol Reef / Yosemite / Pacific Rim / Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Kenai Fjords / Gates of the Arctic
Every year, this is one of my all-time favorite blog posts! I have done it a bit differently each year, but the key factors are fun stats (above), our favorite photos of the year (including at least one photo from each couple we worked with!), and our goal points for next year (scroll to the bottom to see!). I’ve included quite a few photos, so it’s time to pour a cup of coffee and bring this up to full screen (so you can see the photos in their full glory!), and scroll to your heart’s desire.
If you’re a photographer, or a potential bride, remember that it’s super easy to “Pin” these photos to your Pinterest Board if you want to save them for the future! If you make it to the bottom, comment and let me know your favorite(s). And if you feel compelled to share about this post on Instagram, be sure to tag me so I can thank you personally. As always, thank you so much for the continued support, friends!!
2020 GOALS
Our Goals for 2018 and 2019 were quite similar, with the same “blanket terms” and a few small adjustments. I love to look back over them at the end of each year and see how we did, as well as consider how we can improve and do even better in the new year. I honestly think in 2019 we did the best job we’ve done yet, and I’m so thankful to be able to set these goals again, with confidence we’ll continue to work toward them.
Book Less » By booking less, we open ourselves to an even better client experience. We are so passionate about our relationship with each and every client, we want every single person we work with to know we love them and we want to really get to know them. I'm convinced the amazing relationships we form with our couples are a huge reason we take such amazing photos, and I am excited for even more of that in 2020.
Play More » Here's the thing. Do you want to know why we're so psyched all the time? Why we love Moab so much? How we find all these amazing locations? It's because we love to play. We spend our free time exploring, hiking, biking, rafting, skydiving, skiing and climbing all over these places! We didn't get to know Yosemite by shooting weddings there, we got to know it by PLAYING there. We also know we perform way better and deliver a much better experience if we've taken the time to enjoy ourselves instead of work all the time.
Have A Positive Impact » This looks a little different every single year. In 2020, we will continue working closely with our local Moab BLM office to improve their permitting and guidelines for wedding-specific events on BLM lands. Its a grueling process at times, but I know we will have a positive long-term impact if we are patient and persistent. We also hope to donate more to organizations like Access Fund and Honnold Foundation, spend more time educating people about their impact on the lands, and be conscious of our own footprint as we travel, live, and recreate!
Be a Better Wife, Daughter, Friend, Human » This one should be obvious, but honestly in 2017 I was a really good photographer, businesswoman + entrepreneur, but the other things mostly took second-priority. I realize that's how it goes when you start a business (or in our case, drastically change it and grow it), so I'm glad my people stuck with me while we skyrocketed to success, but now that we're where we are, I want to focus more on the other aspects of my life. I want to spend more time with Callen (QUALITY time), more time calling friends and family, and more time enjoying myself and others without thinking about or talking about business. Any tips for overcoming workaholism are greatly appreciated!
2018: Woah, humble pie. I wrote the above paragraph for 2018, and while I do believe I’ve made steps in the right direction, I want to see a drastic change in 2019. This year my Dad was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. I learned, in one phone call, how quickly life can be turned upside down. I am so thankful for the time I had to spend with him in 2018, and I want even more of that in 2019. I don’t want work to ever stand in the way of time with my people.
2019: Honestly, I believe I did a better job of this in 2019 than ever before, but it’s something that can always be improved. This year, I hope to spend more time adventuring with Callen for fun and encouraging his passions, more time with my brothers, and at least one fun trip with my parents.
Keep Growing, Learning, and Improving » Scaling back booking numbers doesn't mean we're going to stop pouring into this business, it simply means we'll do a better job of pouring ourselves into what matters! We absolutely love this job and are so thankful (and amazed) by this past year. Next year we will aim to work smarter and make our clients even happier than ever. I never want to think I know it all and I'll never stop growing and improving. One of my favorite pieces of advice I've received as a skydiver is to learn something new with every single jump. I believe in applying that to all that I do, so in 2020 I hope to learn something new with every adventure session and wedding we shoot.
Lead Our Industry In A Positive Direction » I’ve realized this year how big of an impact we have on the photography industry. A lot of photographers look up to us, follow our lead, and strive to do things like what we’re doing. Whether I like it or not, we have a lot of power over the direction this industry goes. In 2020, I want to do what I can to lead in a positive direction. I want to encourage photographers to care for the environments they’re shooting in, to put sustainability at the forefront of their minds, and to prioritize the longevity of these beautiful wild places. I am excited to be working directly with Moab BLM as well as consulting Park Rangers and staff members in multiple National Parks to learn how to make Adventure Wedding Photography a positive force in the outdoor world.
Maintain The Right Priorities » This one sums up most of what I’ve said above. This year, I want to keep my priorities straight. I don’t want to care about popularity or how cool people think we are or how successful we look. I want to prioritize my personal relationships, my beloved wild spaces, and my incredible clients.
If you made it to the bottom of this, you're an angel. Please comment on this post so I can thank you!! There is no way we could do what we're doing without the support of our online community. Every follow, comment, like, share, and late night spent browsing the website means the world to us - it literally gets us to where we are now (what a time to be alive!). We are so appreciative of you. I know it sounds silly, but I honestly feel like we have a little family of online buddies that love us and when I'm sitting in the rig in the middle of nowhere feeling a little lonely, it's awesome to feel connected to all of you. 2019 was an amazing year and I know 2020 will probably be even better! I can't wait to see where it takes us!