I've seen everywhere people choose a word for 2017. Mine, hands down, is family. My goals this year have so much to do with my families, both work and home. It's been quite a challenge trying to juggle being a stay at home mom as well as running a business, especially with the ever-changing schedule of a newborn. I think I'm finally getting a hang of it though ;)
I want to do more to capture your family and provide you with more opportunities for that. This is my first year offering complementary latch sessions any time of the year, my goal with that is to help capture and preserve this special bond between mother and child for as many as I can. 

// TOP THREE 2017 SWP GOALS //
.one.
To officially open my home studio and be able to offer more milestone sessions, as well as an indoor alternative for Mini Sessions and Smash Sessions.
.two.
Create a work schedule and stick with it!!! With having two kids now, I really need to make and stick to some office hours this year. This will force me to have better time management and allow me to be a better mom and wife :)
.three.
Blog in a timely manner ... I'm so proud to say that I actually blogged every session I had in 2016 but I need to work on a better turn around time for them (instead of blogging a March session in September!)

[No doubt I will do GREAT with accomplishing the last two goals perfectly in the first couple months of 2017 but we will see if I can actually stick with it all year round!! Yeah... I'm one of *those* people! Haha!]



// TOP THREE 2017 PERSONAL GOALS //
.one.
Take more pictures of my own family. I get so caught up juggling motherhood, being a good wife, and keeping house that I tend to forget to pick up the camera and capture daily memories. I want to capture our daily joys so I can remember and enjoy the little things for years to come.
.two.
Travel as a family more. Get out and see the world as well as take advantage of living where we do. We already have trips planned to Nags Head, Florida, England, and Florida again. We would love to squeeze in a trip to Chicago too but we shall see ;)
.three.
Cross things off the "to do" list for our house. We have lived in our home now for a little over a year and it has been a slow and steady process making it our own. We stretched ourselves to get into the perfect neighborhood with the perfect schools and with not having my teaching income anymore, we haven't had a lot of extra money to throw at our home. Next year, I'm hoping to get a couple rooms close to done ;)



// 2017 SWP BUCKET LIST //
.one.
Latch session in Target
.two.
Snow maternity session
.three.
Lifestyle latch session (in-home)
.four.
Newborn session for multiples
.five.
Latch session with older siblings involved


It feels good to write down goals. It makes them more real.
Here's to 2017!
xoxo,
​Sarah

2016 has been a crazy year ... both personally and with my business!! So many big changes I don't even know where to start! We found out that we were expecting our second child in February ... which was an amazing way to start the year! With that news, we decided that I would not return to teaching after the 2015-2016 school year, but instead be a stay-at-home mom and continue to work on growing this little business of mine :) Then in October, we welcomed our son Ethan into our lives and things have been crazy beautiful ever since. Our family is complete and I couldn't be happier. 
I've implemented a lot of change behind the scenes in Sarah Wood Photography this year, taking in everything I learned last year and creating more of a connection between me and my clients. I have had 42 amazing sessions in between all the personal craziness and I am so thankful for each and every one of my clients! This year, I strived to make more of an experience for my clients, including a matted 8x10 with all my full and petite sessions, newborn client gifts, and of course my end of the year gift! My clients also have the opportunity to join my Facebook group, exclusive for past clients, where they get first dibs on mini sessions, random gift certificates, Starbucks codes, and they even helped me decide what to offer during the Black Friday sale!  

2016 by the numbers
42 sessions
. . .
5 Maternity
10 Newborn
4 Latch
4 Smash
17 Family
2 Headshots

Reflecting on 2016 and knowing all the amazingness that will come from this year is so exciting!
Here's to 2017!
xoxo,
​Sarah


2015 Year in Review

I can't believe this year is already almost over! I had so much fun creating this little collage and remembering these sweet moments I was there to capture for such deserving families. 

2015 was a really big year for me...
 50 amazing sessions
[8 family sessions, 12 newborn sessions, 1 maternity session, 5 smash sessions, 11 latch sessions, 12 mini sessions, and 1 charity event]

Not to mention, I got to work alongside two amazing photographers in workshops that I attended in June and November and I got a *huge* equipment upgrade earlier this year [squeal]

With all that being said, I have some pretty big plans for 2016 and I'm super excited to share more with you all later!

xoxo,
​Sarah

Last year, I started this blog. My very first post was 2013 Reflections. As I look back and read that blog (and look at my amazing clients from 2013), I can see that the wheels were slowly starting to turn. I became serious about my little adventure and wanted to take it to the next step. Here is what I learned this past year

What I learned...
I learned that learning is never ending (duh).But that's what I kinda love about photography... JUST when you think you've figured it out you realize that you really haven't and that you have a million other questions.

I've learned to LOVE my photog community. I'm a part of several groups online and everyone is SO supportive and helpful. I feel like I have such a strong bond with so many people and I've only met a handful face to face!

I've also learned that it's not so easy for me to limit myself to 1-2 sessions a month... I really need to work on that balance so that I'm not always on my laptop after a long day at work. My hubby isn't so appreciative of that!

What I am proud of...
I am so proud of how far I've come this year. I've grown my business so much and I've met some amazing new people in the past year!

I'm proud of how far my photography has come. I more than doubled my newborn sessions and I hope to grow that area of my photography even more! I still have things that I want to work on (see below) but I can see my growth more and more in each session! 

What I want for my business...
I'm so excited to be mentoring with one of my photography idols, Sarah Beth Photography. I'm like a giddy little school girl inside!

I want to nail my SOOC images (Straight Out Of Camera). This will save a bunch of time on editing and allow me to give clients more images <3

Investing in myself...
 Last year, I invested in newborn props, additional editing software, and legal mumbo jumbo ;)
This year, I want to update some of my gear this year.


Whew! 2014 was SO good to me ... I can't WAIT to see what 2015 brings
xoxo,
Sarah

PS - If you haven't entered the GIVEAWAY yet, go check out my new cover photo to enter! Anyone can enter and 2014 clients can snag a bonus entry!

I always like to look back on my sessions at the end of the year and reflect. Look at what I learned, what I am proud of, and (of course!) what I want to improve on. So here is my year in review ...

What I learned:
I upgraded my photo editing software, so I’ve been learning new tricks in the editing world.

I attended an amazing Newborn Workshop by the very talented Kiwi Marie Photography and learned A LOT.

The power of networking. The photography world can, at times, seem very competitive. However, through meeting people through Facebook and workshops, I have found the complete opposite. I have met a lot of wonderful ladies in Hampton Roads (and some even in other states) who I can consider a friend and I can turn to when I have a question or problem. They are there in a heartbeat and I can never thank them enough for that ;)


What I am proud of:
I am proud that I got myself back into photography! Once I got pregnant, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to juggle being a wife, teacher, student, photographer, AND a new mom. But, looks like I can! Sure, I run myself into the ground at times (OK, most of the time), but I have been able to set limits for myself to make sure I can do everything I want to do in life.

My growth as a photographer. Each year, I learn a lot. This year, my focus for learning was newborns. I’m so glad I had a handful of newborns to snuggle with in the fall because I have truly fell in love with being able to photograph them.

Being able to set limits for myself. Not only to juggle everything I have going on in my life, but with building my prop closet back up for newborn photography. It is SO EASY to “like” all these amazing vendors on Facebook and get sucked in to their weekly sales and promotions!!! I have learned to LOOK AWAY (OK… maybe I peek but I resist buying which is the important thing!)


What I want for my business:
I want to appear more professional overall. I am working on several things to accomplish this… First, a Client Guide to begin using in 2014. This is basically like an electronic book/pamphlet that I can send out through email that covers everything a new (or returning) client needs to know about Wood Photography – packages, FAQ, policies, etc. I am also hoping to blog more, and not only about Wood Photography. I know that when I read blogs, I love reading about DIY, special events, and personal posts (my fave!!!).

I want to be able to stick to my guns when I say that I’m only booking 2 sessions a month. That may not sound like a lot, but in order to keep myself sane, that’s where I need to draw the line. Keep in mind I’m a teacher, student, and a mommy too!

I reeeeeally want some top notch equipment. So 2014 needs to be good to me so that I can afford some new glass (lenses)!!!!

xoxo,
Sarah