This year has been a lot of things, but it has easily been one of the best years of my life. I believe it showed us all how resilient we are and important it is to cherish the time spent with friends and family. I’m so grateful for the movie watched, puzzles completed, and family zooms during quarantine.
Despite the mess of a year, I was able to photograph more families & weddings than ever!! I also grew as a physical therapist by accepting my first clinical rotation in a nursing home during a pandemic. Most importantly, I grew as a person through all the life experiences I had endured this year. Here are a few of my favorite highlights from each glorious month of 2020!
January
I welcomed in the New Year with family & took time to set personal and professional goals that were (inevitably) changed come March.
February
My first wedding of 2020 was a major success! It was my second ever winter wedding & helped me learn how to maximize the number of unique portraits I can take in a short period of time! There is nothing like 20 degree weather that will force you to work smarter!
March
March started out lovely with two newborn sessions and a family session planned. As we all remember, March was when the world truly turned upside down. The lockdown officially began, PT school was transferred online, and my clinical placement was cancelled. I remember being hopeful it would all be over in a month or two…how sweet!
April
My family & I spent April quarantined and enjoying the time we had together. We went on so many walks and a few boat rides once the weather became a little nicer.
May
Towards the end of May I started to see the light at the end of tunnel. Three weddings had changed dates, but warmer weather and lighter restrictions made me hopeful of returning to normalcy. I was so fortunate to photograph Hope & Nate on their original wedding date after not touching my camera for three months! It is still one of my favorite memories to date.
On May 31st I found out I had a replacement for my clinical rotation….in Rockford, IL…in less than one week. After making my own Pro-Con list and getting advice from every person I know, I decided to accept the placement and go on this journey. I realized driving 10 hours each weekend would be better than delaying graduation and missing out on helping those in need.
June
June was one of the busiest months of the this year! My month began photographing the Dietz wedding, which was one of my favorite memories! It’s crazy seeing one of your childhood friends get married! Two days later I moved into my hotel in Rockford, IL, which is where I would live for the next 10 weeks.
I learned how to manage my time while photographing multiple weddings and working full time and traveling! I learned so much about myself during this. I increased my skills and gained confidence as a therapist, while learning I can do whatever I put my mind to. I worked harder than I have in my entire life but it paid off!
This was also the first double-header weekend of my career! I was so nervous about photographing two weddings on my two days off from my clinical, but it could not have gone better! The Shorter wedding was so beautiful and I had the wonderful assistance of my mother as my second shooter. The Henry wedding the next day was picture perfect, and I had the most fun I’ve ever had at a wedding reception!
July
July flew by! I picked up a wedding on the 4th of July for another photographer and had the most amazing time!! Hope & Nate finally got to tie the knot, and I ended the summer photographing Kelly & Connor in Columbus, IN. I photographed some of my favorite images from these two weddings & made so many wonderful memories!
August
August was the month of transitioning! I finished my clinical rotation on August 14th and began fall classes again on the 17th. I also released my fall availability and watched my schedule book completely–which made me incredibly happy!!
September
September was the month of seniors! I photographed so many beautiful senior sessions and had a blast doing so. I was so lucky my seniors were so relaxed in front of the camera and loved laughing with me throughout the entire session! I also loved photographing a few engagements and family sessions while getting ready for the fall foliage to appear!
October
I broke my record for number of sessions in one month! Friday through Sunday I drove all throughout Indiana to photograph families and couples with beautiful backgrounds. One of my favorite adventures was exploring Lake Monroe with Amanda + Nick for their engagement session! I remember having my first round of exams at the end of September and thinking “October can’t be too bad! I don’t have any exams, just a calendar full of sessions!” Boy was I wrong, but in the best way!!
November
November was the month I got to meet so many of 2021 and 2022 couples in person for their engagement sessions! I even photographed a proposal, which few things can top! I’m a sucker for the colors of autumn and loved every opportunity I had to photograph the gorgeous colors before the leaves went away. My family celebrated Thanksgiving separately at home. Although I love Thanksgiving because it is the one time our entire family gets together, it made the most sense to keep everyone at home to ensure we have our Thanksgivings for years to come!
December
Oh, December. It is normally my favorite month of the year because of all the Christmas cheer, but it felt a little different (like everything else) this year. I was so grateful to see Courtney & Austin welcome their sweet little girl into the world! Christmas minis were also a hit! It made me realize I should do mini sessions more often!
I finished off my semester with all A’s and found out my clinical placement for next summer is in Indianapolis! Yay! As much as I enjoyed this summer, I look forward to spending the summer of 2021 on the lake and with you all!
