2023 Recap!
2023 — YOU WERE THE BEST EVER!!!! ✨ Ahh, this time of year is always the best. I have always loved reminiscing + reflecting! 🌼☀️⭐️✨ This year, for my business, was absolutely unreal. Let’s dive into some of the most monumental moments from this incredible year!!!!
✏️ The year of my funky + fun branding reveal!
I dove head first into over-the-top colorful, funky branding!! Getting to reveal my new website + designs + brand photos that felt truly unique and truly ME, was surreal. My brand feels fully ME and I love it so much.
🌸 The year of my new office!!!
My first ever office!! Painting walls pink, throwing disco balls everywhere, and finding all the colorful decor to keep me inspired. This truly was the year of COLOR and being over the top ;) I loved having a space to work, have senior meetings, and feel so joyful in. This office is a safe haven and a special place. This time last year, I was working at a little small desk in our bedroom. I’m grateful for the growth and the new space!!!
☀️ The year I started my SHOP!!
A small shop to start so I could get my designs out there for sunshine lovers and stoked seniors — more to come and I am so excited to continue this avenue of my business in the future. It’s been so fun being creative in a new way. Shop fun shirts + stickers HERE!
💖 The year I was 100% a senior photographer!!
I announced two years ago that I was shifting towards seniors + families only, and this was the first full year where that was 100% true!! And it was the most successful year of my business yet. Change can be intimidating but this call truly propelled my business in a direction of growth, confidence, and joy!! When you are a full-time photographer, people expect that you do weddings. I’m proof that that doesn’t have to be the case. I’m so so passionate about not letting norms define you!!! I love to encourage others to lean into your calling + find where your joy lies. This leads to more dreams and a deep desire to help other creatives out there lean into the portrait calling.
😋 The year of the group shoots!!!!
I’ve always loved watching senior rep/model teams and wanted something like that for my business. I kept getting caught up in the details + selection process and just decided, “Ah what the heck,” and made some fun extra shoots for any senior that booked me. And it’s been so much FUN. Creating just to create, more photos that just your personal session alone, and new friends!! Watching my seniors connect because of these events and now comment on each other’s posts — so sweet, ya’ll SWEET. It’s been such an amazing addition to my business, something I cannot imagine having! And we still have a shoot + a final get-together to go ☻
🎀 The year of the kindest seniors!
This year was the most challenging weather year I’ve ever had in my business. So dang hot, so much rain, it was really tricky. But my seniors this year. They were the most kind group I’ve ever experienced. From dealing with session reschedules, to being excited about the group shoots, to bringing all sorts of fun ideas for their session, for their kind words leading up to, during, and after their session, this group has been a gift. It’s been a wonderful business year but this year personally had some lows. Not everything is always joyful and golden here 😉 My business was a wonderful gift of friendship and joy from the Lord and I will never be able to accurately thank my clients for their joy + kindness that brought me smiles + gratitude, even when outside of my job, life was a lot. This group of girls I’ve gotten to photograph has been one of the best groups ever.
⭐️ The year I owned my silliness + uniqueness.
You can make your business whatever you want it to be. That’s the beauty of being self-employed!! YOU are in charge! I took my brand photos with a giant pencil. I hand-lettered my own font. I created an experience I wish I could’ve been a part of in high school. And I found that when I leaned into my personality + the fun I wanted to bring to my business, it made this job so much fun for me but also an experience others wanted to join in on. We have a lot of fun over here and it’s all because I decided fun should overall the normal route. My business + work feels truly like my own. My seniors truly feel like sweet friends + such an important part of my job but also just my life! Lean into what makes you, YOU. Something I tell my seniors for their session and something I think all creatives (or literally everyone) should focus on.
I love what I do and the people I get to create with. A dream of 17-year-old Kaylee, and now, an everyday reality for 25-year-old me. Thank you for being here and making my dreams REAL. I’m so thankful for you, my clients, my followers, my friends, my family!!! Thank you 2023, so grateful for a colorful, golden year and so excited for all that 2024 will bring. May it be just as bright.
