Wrapping up the year- how did it go?

[stacy]

I was just thinking about how close we are to the end of another year so I went

back to my goals for 2006...

 

Income wise I think we'll be a bit short of the goal of a 15% increase over

2005- unless we score big in the next 2 months. But we were able to accomplish

a lot of our goals for this year- we got published (ok- not national or

anything- but still :), we got our new website, we are getting a studio, got a

couple of 5Ds and some nice lenses, and learned alot about photography (and

business) and made some nice connections too. So even though we're short money

wise I feel like it was a good year. I still did not get a 6x6!

 

I think 2007 will be a bit of a transition year as we learn more about shooting

in a studio and deciding which ways to branch off. Our wedding goal for 2007 is

down quite a bit from 2006, but our prices are higher which will help offset

that. I think we ended up with about 47 weddings in 2006 (4 still in December)-

most of them have albums- etc and I feel like we had to really work hard to

keep up.

 

So how was your year and what are your plans for 2007?

[robbie_caswell]

This year wasn't about money (how true that was...) it was about experience, and I would have paid for it. I accomplished my goals.

 

Found a pro to shoot under and have seen my skills grow incredibly in nine months. Currently I have seconded at about 15 weddings, shot a beach family session, a family reunion, as well as three solo weddings on my own with one ( maybe two more before year end ).

 

My newspaper work should garner me some statewide awards. A local high school hoops tourney will run a dozen images from last years event and I may get the cover of the program.

 

Remaining goals for 2006...

 

1) decide on a business name

 

2) finish www.rcaswellphotography.com

 

Goals for 2007...

 

1) Either get paid fairly for my work, or enjoy take on personal photography projects

 

2) train my wife to my level by year end 2007

 

3) so I can develop my Leica skills

 

4) Become a better photographer (PS, remotes, posing)

 

5) Be a better husband by spending more time with my wife, and less time with photography.

 

6) Train my puppy lab in field trial work.

[stacy]

Those are good goals Robbie- it sounds like you had a very productive 2006 too. I think the first year I started working for other photographers I netted about -$384.00 from photography :) So you're doing well!

 

Nobody else wants to say how their year went?

[idobelieve]

This has been a hugely momentus year for me!

 

1) I got my first website up, got promo materials out and registered as a business.

2) I found an awesome experienced pro to work under. He is now hiring me out as an "associate photographer" to do weddings on my own under his name while he teaches me so much about the business and improving my work all around. He is a dream come true and I am so thankful! I'll be sure to repay in kind to a fledgling photographer in need when I have my own experience to share.

2) I pretty much completed my kit - 2 new cameras, flash, cards, lens, imac, external hard drive, yay!

3) I booked my first jobs under my own company, Honeymoon beach portraits.

4) I booked and shot my first wedding all on my own.

5) I booked and shot my first destination wedding.

 

First year of business...with all the expenses I'm sure this year was a loss, but I've had 8 weddings plus a few more as second and so far I've got 7 booked for next year!

 

Goals for next year:

 

1) Increase traffic to my website

2) Improve my use of flash

3) Get to know everyone in the wedding business in my area

4) Start producing albums and slideshows

5) Get the business side of things organized so it runs smoothly

[steve-walton]

Well, Stacy we are far from wrapping up the year just yet here. The first four months of 2006 were given to writing our book "Contemporary Wedding Photography by Julie Oswin & Steve Walton" (unashamed plug :-)!) which is due for publication on 29th December (David & Charles), on top of which we have taken more wedding bookings than is usual for us with most of the work coming in during the second half of the year. our business has expanded this year and we have taken on four new employees. Our final wedding of 2006 is in Paris on New Year's Eve. It's been a good year for us, hope the same for everyone else on the forum. Let's see what 2007 brings.....

[phoneguy]

Went from an avid hobbiest to charging for photos. Work a full time day job, and still trying to decide how far I want to take this thing.

 

I'm currently unorganized as H*LL, just getting ready to wrap up my first wedding album.

 

I have 3 more weddings this year, 6 family portrait shoots scheduled with deposit, and a 300 item product shoot for a new business.

 

My problem is that the business comes at you so fast in SoCal, but I haven't had time to work out a business plan.

 

I still don't know how much I want to take on, and if I want to do this as a full time gig. I have a good job with fully paid benefits, retirement, 401K, and a 4/10 schedule with Sat, Sun, Mon off.

 

My problem is, I love photography. My 2006 goal...To have a plan for 2007.

 

Mike

[phoneguy]

Oh yeah, a christmas party with 400 couples, and prints on site...How could I forget that.

[sean_flanigan]

I can't even keep up with myself. BUSY!

 

I'll let you all know when I can come up for some air.

 

Sean

[kari douma]

I am ready to take it up a notch in my business end. I just got nicer stationary paper. (I was just using cheep computer paper before.) I am going to order some nicer presentation things, boxes, folders, ect. I have a list a mile long for the slow months. (No, I'm not quite there yet.) I will update my website, organize my studio area and update it, update my samples, get some big prints, albums, ect., Maybe look for some new royality free music, get some of Kabota actions, buy some dvds, oh yeah.... maybe I can make some money next year.

 

This year went pretty good, but I am still too busy to think about it!

[kari douma]

Ok, I was thinking about it. This year was a great year. In January I raised my prices from the beginner bargin prices to a fair price. (I'd like to go a little higher, but not yet.) That in itself was a huge hurdle. I questioned myself when my bookings were slow, but I got over that hurdle. I got my website up and running, started online proofing, joined my local professional photographers organization, started working with an assistant for weddings. I guess over all it was a pretty good year! Hopefully next year will hold as many big steps!

[kari douma]

Ok, a couple more things... I bought a great lens, and started using multiple flashes at receptions too! (Thanks to some great posts here on Photo.net.) I am also shooting 100% manual (actually, I think that started sometime last year.) I also went to some great seminars. I guess when I think about it, I have had a great year.

[savagesax]

Hire someone creative, young, on the wild side, and knows Photoshop. We need 1 more shooter. Too may weddings on one weekend. Sometimes 4 or 5 and it really fries your nerves.

[musubi1000]

2006 was a great year for me. I am now working for a nationally recognized wedding photographer and I have to say you can always learn something new. I've shot weddings on my own for near 17 years and I've learned an quite a bit recently. If you are coming into this business I suggest you work as an assistant.

I've also learned that you always check your pockets for your memory cards. If you use a memory card wallet you have to check it every 30 min. don't put anything else in your pocket except your memory card wallet. I happened to lose my memory card wallet with about 10 gigs of memory during a wedding. I was the second shooter so we didn't lose anything vital but it totally sucks knowing that some of the great shots I made(saw them on the back of camera) are gone and I won't get to show the bride and groom the one I made up til the ceremony.

[medina photography cherry]

2006- was ok. did my first album (graphi-sheww that is a full time job in itself just dealing with them)

 

2007- goals-

Either get enough bookings to go full time or enough bookings to get a part time job (40 hours) that will allow me more time for the business.

 

Find less expensive, quality albums for my clients.

 

book at least 20 weddings

 

do more family photos

[silver]

We have done so far 122 weddings this year, and many more to come. Fri, and Sat and even Sun are our busy days, For 2007 we are hoping it slows down lol. Yikes the IRS will be happy this year. We have several destination weddings in 2007 booked one in Belize in the spring, one in Key West and one on Grand Bahama Island.

[stacy]

Good night! You guys are really busy- I have no idea how anyone could do 122 weddings in a year...no way I could!

 

Sounds like everyone had a good 2006- I can't believe how fast this year went!

[wedding-photography-denver]

WOW! 122!

 

Well I have shot 31 this year and Nov. 4th was my last for the year. I aim to shoot 30 per year so, this year was pretty decent numbers wise. I must say though, not as many large bookings as before. Trend?

 

Overall, my goals were met but I would like to have seen some better advances in personal vision development.

 

Stacey, you must be doing sooo much work in the album dept. I get too overwhelmed beyond about 30, but I also have another biz. to run.

 

Best, D.

[silver]

Don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about me, I did not shoot all 122 weddings, we are a partnership (2 Pro's). And we pay young up and comers to help with equiptment and be gophers. But we are extremely busy, and its a good thing we shoot film, I couldn't sit that many hours in front of a computer and stay sane. So we have to get it right in the camera the first time.