Why I’m Committing to One Creative Photo Shoot a Month in 2026 | A Colorado Photographer’s Journey
I have been thinking a lot about goals. Big life goals, little goals and business goals. With a new year starting and the feeling of the last one slipping so quickly through my fingers I wanted to be very intentional for my 2026. To do this I decided to make some practical overall goals but then take those and break them down into the 12 months ahead. This way each month has micro goals and intentions that I am focusing on and reflecting on each month. I hope this will make a difference in my experience with time.
You may be wondering at this point what this blog has to do with photography…Well, I have to start in March of last year. I was at WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International), a photography conference. Anne Geddes talked during one of the Fujifilm sessions. sharing about her journey with photography. One of my main takeaways from her was that she started doing one shoot a month just for herself. This is where the baby and garden photos that are so iconic came from! If she had never pushed herself in that way, doing something creative just for her, being her own client, her own creative director. She wouldn’t be where she is today! During this talk, I felt so inspired. I had grown up looking at those sweet babies in pea pods and garden pots in the calendar hanging from my mother’s walls.
I internally committed to myself that I would do this when I got home. This was March 2025. Did I do it? No. I was not intentional in the planning, and month after month flew by. But the vision of running into Anne in the hallway, telling me to send her my photos that come from doing this, has haunted my thoughts.
So, that brings us back to the beginning of this year! One of my biggest personal and business goals is to put together one creative photo shoot each month just for me! And I have good news, I did it!!!! I accomplished the first one! In the middle of January. I asked my daughter if she would model for me. She loves the camera, so it was an easy yes.
My January concept is this creepy ghost/ girl lost in a cave vibe.
I pulled it off with a backdrop stand, a black sheet, and a lamp light for some, and a lantern + a off camera continuous light for others, and a veil from some of my styled wedding sessions. We also waited to shoot it at night, so I didn’t have to fight off any ambient light. It was simple and so much fun.
The photos turned out better than I expected, and what was in my head definitely came to life. I love how well the highlights have a moment to shine and how some of the photos feel very ethereal and almost like a painting. I am looking so forward to the next 11 shoots and what will come from them! If you read this far, thank you so much! Let me know what you think! Which one is your favorite?
