Hello you beautiful people! We are already a few weeks into 2018 (and our first wedding of the year is TOMORROW!) but we have slowly been building up some beautiful images for our 2017 year-in-review post. We can’t think of a better way to look back in nostalgia and appreciation of the many many people who shared their love and lives with us in the last year.
For how quickly it went by, we seriously can’t believe how FULL a year 2017 was. The beginning of the year we used our downtime to get more engaged with our community. I brought my camera to many protests and community building events to document these incredibly unifying experiences. It felt like using this craft to give back and show to the rest of my world the beautiful work BG is doing to fight for fairness and against intolerance. We became all the more activated to be a more ethical, inclusive, human, and compassionate business.
We certainly had an exciting string of weddings lined up for us. No two days were alike. From engagement ceremonies, to 300 person celebrations, to tiny elopements in front of fireplaces— we felt uniquely privileged to be invited into each and every day.
I was challenged to modify my entire workflow when a shoulder injury put me into physical therapy for several weeks. I learned that if I want to give my best, I have to take care of myself. I replaced camera neck straps with a super fashionable double-camera waist holster. I finally invested in an ergonomic workstation. I started getting serious about rest. With a lot of patience (and yoga) I came out of my injury with more humility and respect for my body than ever. I am passionate about helping other photographers and freelancers get proactive about self-care on and off the job.
We also bought and renovated a house in the middle of wedding season. I do not personally recommend this timing (haha) but we were amazingly blessed with clients & friends that were supportive and excited for us. The summer was a whirlwind and I’m thankful that we slowed down just enough to document some of our personal experience in between shooting weddings. I am nostalgic for those days of chaos and newness. However I am even more excited for a year of settling in.
The positive feedback we’ve gotten this year has made me weep an embarrassing number of times. We have been consistently thanked for our excitement, honestly, friendship, and advocacy. No matter how our style or shooting techniques may grow, those values will forever keep us grounded. We are passionate about the unique opportunity to not only document, but to make couples more comfortable, capable, and loved.
We have also had many couples thank us for taking the last photos of a family member, friend, or guest. It breaks our hearts every time and it is honestly the most humbling part of our job. We promise to never take the honor of documenting your people for granted. Your guests are not an nuisance for us to shoot around. Candids of them are more important than redundant details. We care about the people that love you.
In 2018 we aim to continue:
The depth of our coverage. We are most inspired by raw emotions, connections among people, and the honest context.
Encouraging practical and realistic expectations around a wedding.
Fighting against traditions that don’t make our couples happy.
Celebrating traditions that do.
Devoting less energy to comparing ourselves to other photographers.
Caring less about Instagram likes.
Being proud of each other.
Booking more “at home” shoots.
Pushing for authentic connection.
Pushing against vanity and flattery.
Helping our clients (no matter what age) feel confident in being expressive, brave, and beautiful.
Letting kids be kids.
Documenting what’s important to us outside of paid work.
Loving rich color and realistic representations.
Chasing the quirky, awkward, human moments.
Advocating togetherness.
Laughing at mistakes.
Messy hair, ugly crying, and passionate kisses.
Celebrating the mundane.
Being honest with ourselves, and with y’all.
Finding the love and happy in everyday.
These photos are by no means the “best of” 2017. Instead, here are some glimpses into the wildly beautiful year we just experienced. We are fired up for a 2018 just thinking about these moments, these beautiful people, and the gratitude we have received and send back to y’all x 1,000.
2016 trends we’d love to see more of:
Sparkles, glitter, and twinkles of all kinds.
Moons and stars.
Practical shoes.
Leather jackets.
ANIMALS.
Embracing your spooky side.
Handmade, hand-stitched, hand-crafted everything.
Chosen families.
At home sessions.
At home weddings.
Effortless dresses.
Burgundy, navy, and GOLD.
Late night snack surprises.
Flower girls that steal the show.
Meaningful ceremonies.
Helpful bridal parties.
Planners that rock.
Wild bouquets.
Flowers in her hair.
Electric skies.
Sunglasses.
Tattoos.
Dance skills.
Eclectic rings.
Kindness.
Pressure-free engagement sessions.
Thorough prep sheet responses.
Low-light/blue hour shooting.
Family portraits that feel like hugs.
Presence and gratitude.
Those that go their own way.
Happy New Year, you two! Everyone that hated 2017 (so, basically everyone) needs to look at this post. Life is hard out there, but there are SO many beautiful moments. Cheers for capturing them and making more in 2018!
Love this!! Thank you for being so awesome to work with!