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Bi-Weekly Discussion Thread: New Year's Resolutions

AgnieszkaAgnieszka Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,263 Major grins
edited January 20, 2011 in Weddings
We're almost there ... 2011 is just a couple of days away ... What are your New Year's resolutions for the new year? :D

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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    lose 6 pounds
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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    AgnieszkaAgnieszka Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,263 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    Qarik wrote: »
    lose 6 pounds

    rolleyes1.gif Uhm .... at least ... (for me) :uhoh
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    Moogle PepperMoogle Pepper Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    I'll just copy my blog link over

    http://blog.tednghiemphoto.com/blog/?p=150
    Food & Culture.
    www.tednghiem.com
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    I was just thinking about last years: Charge more and work less.
    I did pretty good at the charging more. But the working less...?... Not so much.

    So this years resolution (drum roll please): Work less.
    I do have a plan... lets see if I can stick to it.
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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    Agnieszka wrote: »
    rolleyes1.gif Uhm .... at least ... (for me) :uhoh

    *rubs chin and nods knowingly* This explains why we haven't see any post prego shots of you. Please make you you lose all of it before posting any self portraits. rolleyes1.gif
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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    ssimmonsphotossimmonsphoto Registered Users Posts: 424 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    I was just thinking about last years: Charge more and work less.
    This is my goal for 2012. I have to say 2012 because I'm fully book (at my beginner, budget rates) for 2011. So, for my business side, my goal is to charge more and work less.

    Personally, I want to fit back in to my wedding dress and look better in it. Then do a TTD session with my hubby before starting a family. We didn't get many portraits when we got hitched and that's our one regret.
    Website (hosted by Zenfolio after 6.5 years with SmugMug) | Blog (hosted by Zenfolio) | Tave User
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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    I'll just copy my blog link over

    http://blog.tednghiemphoto.com/blog/?p=150

    Ted, I am with you on dropping some advertising. I did google adwords this year at $10/day. I got a lot of nibbles but no bites. I am dropping that for sure.
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    Personally, I want to fit back in to my wedding dress and look better in it. Then do a TTD session with my hubby before starting a family. We didn't get many portraits when we got hitched and that's our one regret.

    You can do it! iloveyou.gif I made my weight loss goals and fit into my gown this year. (Though it is now too big.) Aaaand I have a lifestyle type shoot scheduled with Agnieszka this coming May to celebrate success! I think I am possibly more excited about that than my trip to Israel next week.

    I dropped a bunch of advertising this year too. No more yellow pages ads, thank you very much. I found I was getting lots of calls, but they were all from folks wanting to do a shoot that day, which doesn't work since I am usually booked months in advance. Also lots of phone calls from charities asking for donations.

    And one more goal: buy more camera toys. (lenses... poppers... etc) Anyone want to join me on this goal?mwink.gif
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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    You can do it! iloveyou.gif I made my weight loss goals and fit into my gown this year. (Though it is now too big.) Aaaand I have a lifestyle type shoot scheduled with Agnieszka this coming May to celebrate success! I think I am possibly more excited about that than my trip to Israel next week.

    I dropped a bunch of advertising this year too. No more yellow pages ads, thank you very much. I found I was getting lots of calls, but they were all from folks wanting to do a shoot that day, which doesn't work since I am usually booked months in advance. Also lots of phone calls from charities asking for donations.

    And one more goal: buy more camera toys. (lenses... poppers... etc) Anyone want to join me on this goal?mwink.gif

    Heather it is not really a resolution if it is easy to do. Buy more camera toys? That's like resolving to gain weight next year.
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    Qarik wrote: »
    Heather it is not really a resolution if it is easy to do. Buy more camera toys? That's like resolving to gain weight next year.

    clap.gifYou can do it! I'll cheer you on!:giggle

    But for me it all depends on how I allocate fundage. Last year I did a whole lotta unexpected very necessary and very expensive home repairs and car replacements instead of equipment purchases. :twitch Hopefully we won't have any catastrophes this year... haha.
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    Moogle PepperMoogle Pepper Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    Qarik wrote: »
    Ted, I am with you on dropping some advertising. I did google adwords this year at $10/day. I got a lot of nibbles but no bites. I am dropping that for sure.

    Took money away from more important things for me- saving up for Spain. :D

    So..

    Heather and Qarik, I will cheer you both on getting new gear! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!! BUY!!rolleyes1.gif
    Food & Culture.
    www.tednghiem.com
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    mmmattmmmatt Registered Users Posts: 1,347 Major grins
    edited December 30, 2010
    More brides for me! Minimum 1 referral per wedding is my goal.

    Matt
    My Smugmug site

    Bodies: Canon 5d mkII, 5d, 40d
    Lenses: 24-70 f2.8L, 70-200 f4.0L, 135 f2L, 85 f1.8, 50 1.8, 100 f2.8 macro, Tamron 28-105 f2.8
    Flash: 2x 580 exII, Canon ST-E2, 2x Pocket Wizard flexTT5, and some lower end studio strobes
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    ssimmonsphotossimmonsphoto Registered Users Posts: 424 Major grins
    edited December 31, 2010
    You can do it! iloveyou.gif I made my weight loss goals and fit into my gown this year. (Though it is now too big.) Aaaand I have a lifestyle type shoot scheduled with Agnieszka this coming May to celebrate success! I think I am possibly more excited about that than my trip to Israel next week.

    Thanks! I've been married for 3 years, but have had my business for 2, both of which I was doing my M.Ed. degree program. Needless to say, I've worked hard at taking care of everyone else, but myself. So, time to change that. I'm hoping to book a session with a tog here in Maine who is killer at TTD around the time of our 4th anniversary in August. We have a family get fit plan, so now we just have to stick to it.

    (And, since I am surprising my hubby with a Caribbean cruise in December to thank him for all of his support with my lil business, I want to look good while on it. :D)
    Website (hosted by Zenfolio after 6.5 years with SmugMug) | Blog (hosted by Zenfolio) | Tave User
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    AgnieszkaAgnieszka Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,263 Major grins
    edited January 1, 2011
    Qarik wrote: »
    *rubs chin and nods knowingly* This explains why we haven't see any post prego shots of you. Please make you you lose all of it before posting any self portraits. rolleyes1.gif

    rolleyes1.gif Uhm yeah, I'm much better behind the camera :D No worries, there is no danger of e blinding you guys with any self portraits lol3.gif

    My resolution is to play more with external flashes. You won't believe it, I ordered some pretty cool stuff (I received it like 4 days ago), and it's still all packed up in corner :cry I need some willing models and a babysitter ne_nau.gif

    iloveyou.gif
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    ShimaShima Registered Users Posts: 2,547 Major grins
    edited January 2, 2011
    My new years resolution:

    1) Go to a dermatologist and try to finally get my acne to go away
    2) Sign up at a new martial arts school (I moved to CA back in July and still haven't done that...been doing martial arts for 10 years and have 2 black belts, so don't want to let it go to waste!)
    3) Get my photography business better known out here, have 3 gigs this year, but need to keep those numbers growing, when I moved away from Chicago-land I had to turn down many handfuls of weddings since I had finally got my name decently known out there, so time to build up the business all over again out here :)
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    WillCADWillCAD Registered Users Posts: 722 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2011
    Many years ago, I made a New Years resolution to never again make another New Years resolution.

    It's been over 25 years, and I'm still keeping it. So congratulate me.
    What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
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    KinkajouKinkajou Registered Users Posts: 1,240 Major grins
    edited January 18, 2011
    1 - Complete a 30-day fresh-photo-a-day challenge. Today is day 15! Halfway there! (you can follow along on my blog)

    2 - Organize and complete 5 "concept shoots" this year. The thought is that I'll work with a designer, stylist, and a model to come up with some interesting theme or idea, put together a tiny budget to get appropriate clothing/props and then shoot! We'd all be able to use the images in our portfolios in exchange for volunteering our time and energy.

    3 - Send out at least two small mailings this year to local businesses - one focusing on restaurant/product shots and one focusing on the wedding industry. I start designing tonight!

    4 - I like that one that Matt came up with, so yeah, I'm gonna aim for that too: one new referral per wedding.

    5 - When we go on our annual climbing trip to Alabama in March, my goal is to not suck.

    6 - Get prepped and ready to take awesome shots in Tanzania this year... my good friend is doing her Med Anthro Ph.D. research over there and wants me to come and take photos at her field site for her dissertation/monograph. Yes please! We may consider putting together a coffee table book afterwards...

    I'm not at all for workin' less this year. Workin' less at my day job, maybe, but working my tail off for photography is the plan to keep improving and get myself out there! It's gonna be a crazy year! wings.gif
    Webpage

    Spread the love! Go comment on something!
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    QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited January 18, 2011
    I haven't lost any weight yet.
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
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    AgnieszkaAgnieszka Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,263 Major grins
    edited January 18, 2011
    Hahaha!! :)))))
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    Moogle PepperMoogle Pepper Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited January 19, 2011
    Qarik wrote: »
    I haven't lost any weight yet.

    You took my weight! thumb.gif
    Food & Culture.
    www.tednghiem.com
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    mpauliempaulie Registered Users Posts: 303 Major grins
    edited January 20, 2011
    Last year I second shot a few weddings for experience and did family shoots for friends for pretty much nothing. I brought in a few hundred dollars but spent much much more.

    I'm setting a small goal for myself to bring in $10,000 in revenue from photography/prints/album design for 2011. A small goal but it would mean doubling or tripling year after year if I can do it. I'm booked as a second shooter for 9 weddings and may possibly have my first solo wedding(crossing fingers!). I've done one family shoot so far and have had a few inquiries for more. Right now I'm at $400 which was just about my total last year.rolleyes1.gif

    So there it is, I hope I don't ruin it by saying it out loudne_nau.gif
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