In January, I made a resolution to make one great photo a day. This sounds easy enough, but hasn't happened. I spend some days being mom, some days doing the administrative side of the photography business, and sometimes entire days are eaten by writing pitches. Or at times I stay in and learn, making notes to practice the *next* time I get outside to shoot.
Another resolution I've made every year over the last 3 years is to simply go outside every day, rain or shine. That one is harder than you think. Let's be real -- some people (ahem, me) love being cozy so much and it's convenient to work all day, and often, it's decidedly better to stay inside than to be in the cold fog, wind, or (rare California) rain.
If I fail to meet these two resolutions consistently over weeks at a time, I start to feel anxious -- even a little down. Does this happen to you? As a toddler mom, it's an easy fallback to think you can't do something towards your craft because you have non-negotiable kiddo-oriented responsibilities. But that's really just an excuse.
So below you'll see a recent set of photos taken with a "just go outside and shoot no matter what" mentality. Even alone with my 2-year-old son, I was determined to get out and scout a location, but the night was made better when one of my best friends, Jeel came by after work. Together, we scoped out Presidio's Lover's Lane during the golden hour... and I took most of these shots while holding my very wriggly Noah. Just GO SHOOT.
When I got home, the anxiety had lifted and I spent all night being excited about the work we did. I was darn-right happy. Not only did I make myself happy, but it was also great quality time with Noah and Jeel. It's a nice reminder to myself that 1) I love my job, 2) I must keep being creative as much as I can despite blockers, and 2) going outside lifts one's mood, even if it's a San Francisco summer (i.e. it's a drizzly, damp 55 degrees outside).
