Wow 2015. Just WOW.
What a year, what a YEAR. It’s been one pretty epic year, if I do say so myself. This year has been full of some of the most exciting memories & moments of my life and within my business. I can’t hardly wait to see what exciting things I welcome into this adventure of life in 2016, but if I’m just being honest here, I don’t know how things can get much better than they did in 2015. (Well…OK, so I’m lying…I know that God has this AMAZING plan for me & my life and this year is only a beginning!)
There has been many things within 2015 that have happened to me and I certainly love every single moment… Seriously y’all…this year has been just a complete blessing. Definitely a LIFE-CHANGING YEAR. My most cherished year yet. I’ve worked my hardest. Stressed out a TON. Made some tough (but easy!) life-changing decisions. And I said ‘I Do’ to my best friend & soulmate.
As I wave good-bye to 2015 tonight at midnight, I do feel a little piece of me inside is sad, ok, very sad to see 2015 go.
PERSONAL: HIGHLIGHTS IN 2015
+Got married to my best friend/partner-in-crime/Soulmate/”main squeeze”/Biggest Fan of my Life in June. We said ‘I Do’ on June 6th in front of all of our families and friends in a church ceremony followed by a beautiful reception at The Henry Hall Wilson House. I have never been “that girl” who has been dreaming of my wedding day since I was a little. I just knew I wanted it to be special, fitting to my personality (think vintage & flea market finds mixed with a little bit of glam & Southern soul!) and by all means, filled with sunshine! (The weather called for summer thunderstorms and 90% rain on our wedding day…but luckily the sun shined ALL day! My dad must’ve made a deal with Jesus, that’s for sure! 😉 ) We wrote our own vows, served Communion to our guests, danced to Etta James & Michael Jackson for our First Dance, and ran thru a sparkler exit as we waved good-bye to head to our Honeymoon! It sure was just a dream. I think I’m STILL on cloud nine from our wedding day!
(Photo Credits for above: The Schultzes)
+Our Honeymoon was our first trip we ever took together AND Phillip’s first time ever out of the country AND on an airplane! We honeymooned in the Dominican Republic at an all-inclusive resort…and goodness! We can’t wait to go back someday soon! 
+The first half of 2015 meant prepping for our wedding day. Between the Bridal Showers, dress shopping, Bachelorette/Bachelor parties, engagement parties, and getting photos taken of us during our engagement session and my bridal portrait. We were having a blast! Our engagement lasted only 8 months and we soaked up every single second of it! (Photo Credit for below: The Schultzes) 
+We finally finished working on our first home which we bought back in November 2014! It’s crazy what a couple (ok…probably more like 25+) gallons of paint, a little elbow grease, and a whole lot of love and patience will do. We put the finishing touches on our home in April 2015 and were moving our things in by May. I ended up living in the house alone and waited until we were married for Phillip to finally move in after the wedding! Spending our wedding night together in our first home that we worked SO hard on was incredible. We absolutely LOVE our house, and we’ve made it into our home. We have a theory-if we could make it through the entire remodel and come out stronger than before…we can make it through anything! 
+I made the decision to quit school for teaching and my job to go full-time with Emma Loo…but more on that below! Phillip even quit his job as a dispatcher and joined the Board of Elections in our county. For us, stepping out of our comfort zones wasn’t easy, but SO worth it. We both are loving our jobs!
+We welcomed our sweet little niece, Tucker, into the world in July. Holding her for the first time brought tears to my eyes (& seeing the picture now does too!) We have absolutely loved watching her grow…but we’re ok with loving on her and then giving her back to Mama! No plans for kids anytime soon. We’ll stick to our cats and maybe a puppy soon.
+We adopted a kitten and named him Burt (as in Burt Reynolds) back in August. He’s a little stinker and has literally scratched up simply everything in our home. He constantly makes us wake up because he sucks on his paws while he sleeps…and it’s loud…and VERY annoying. But he brings us joy to our life and a playmate to our other cat, SAL.
+Not only did we travel to the Dominican Republic this year, but we also traveled quite a bit in 2015 after the wedding. We spent a total of 2 weeks at the beach (one week with my family and one week with his). I went to Disney World without Phillip in January (he stayed behind to work on the house! He’s so good to me!). We also traveled close-to-home quite a bit for work-Raleigh on three occasions, Asheville, Morganton, Spartanburg, Boone/Blowing Rock. We plan on traveling a bit more in 2016 and are looking forward to our first anniversary trip somewhere romantic (but close to home!) Any suggestions would be appreciated!
+We had a lot of “firsts” this year and we’ve enjoyed every one of them! Spending our first Christmas in our home together was pure delight. We so enjoyed curling up on the couch and looking at our Christmas tree at night together. Unwrapping presents in our home, hosting our very first Christmas party, and decorating the house were just a few memories we made together. I can’t wait to see how our traditions change over the years as our family grows.
PERSONAL: CHALLENGES IN 2015:
Not everything is rainbows & butterflies over here either. 2015 has brought some challenges with her too. Some challenges I/we’ve faced this year have been:
+Adjusting to married life It’s a big jump. Not to scare anyone..but there’s some pressure there, but with many joys that come with it too. Knowing that you’ve got to make it work no matter what is what keeps us going. We’re both stubborn as mules & we do fight. But we DO make up too. We shake it off and we come into a room with our “tails between our legs” after we had just stormed out of it. Wise words from my Dad are “if you’re ever going to fight…fight naked. That way, you two will never go to bed mad.”
+Leaving room for me Making sure that I get enough “me-time” is crucial. Not only for my own happiness, but for my creativity to blossom. It’s been hard to set aside more time for me to do things that I love like watercolor painting, reading, and crafting. With everything that went on these past 365 days, doing this was hard but for 2016 I plan to make sure this happens more.
+Meal planning…ok, cooking in general If they say the way to a man’s heart is thru his stomach…well, then I’m in trouble. Thank Goodness we’re married! I. Can’t. Cook. At. All. Hopefully 2016 will be my year that Chef Emily makes her debut.
+Staying in shape Let’s face it. When you get married…you get comfortable. I haven’t packed on the pounds, but I sure don’t need any extra either. I love running but really haven’t made any extra time for me to workout/run in 2015. Don’t worry 2016…that’ll all change.
BUSINESS: HIGHLIGHTS IN 2015
+After we got married, Phillip pushed me to go full-time with Emma Loo and grow my business into what I have always imagined it being and becoming. I’m SO thankful for that little extra push from Phillip because I’ve always been afraid of failure so Emma Loo Photography has always been my “side-car” or something I never did with a full heart. Making the transition into full-time meant I had to put my whole heart & soul into my business. This business, my photography, my clients, all the numerous images I’ve captured…it’s all my passion. I absolutely love every single thing about it.
God has sure blessed me. I am SO thankful for Him for keeping this door opened for me for a while now…even when I didn’t want to trust Him and go thru it, I’m so SO glad He loves me enough to give me more than enough chances to realize just how much He loves me and will provide for me and has such an amazing plan for ME. I’m one lucky girl because my Jesus loves me so!
+I decided to not photograph anything before our wedding day in June, so taking off the beginning half of the year was kind of weird for me. When I finally sat down at my desk to write this recap I have amazed myself at just how much I’ve been able to capture in such short amount of time. It blows my mind.
With that being said, I had the honor to photograph a total of 8 beautiful weddings this year…
Every single client who invited me into their Best Day Ever….I am SO thankful for y’all. Beyond thankful. To put your faith and trust in me to capture your wedding day means the absolute world to me and I am so very honored to have been there to photograph your love story. THANK YOU.
+I also worked very hard to gain 14 more weddings scheduled for 2016 (& working on booking 4 more couples!) It’s been SUCH a BLESSING to say the least! From getting a brides first inquiry email, then meeting with them at their engagement session, getting to know all of my new 2016 couples…OH…brings so much delight to my life! Again, I am SO thankful for my clients and I am just so thrilled and honored to be able to capture their love story.
This year, I captured 17 engagement sessions…and goodness, each session made me even more excited for 2016! 
+Making time for more portrait sessions has made me have more flexibility and make me more well-rounded in my business. Photographing these lifestyle sessions has given me such joy & seeing the delight on my client’s faces when they receive their images…I am just so overwhelmed with appreciation. To all my portrait session clients…thank you to the moon. Your trust in me to capture those sweet, sweet memories is just overwhelmingly delightful and I am SO thankful for y’all and making me feel like one of your own.
In 2015, I photographed 8 Maternity sessions, 5 newborn sessions, 3 children sessions, 1 senior session, 29 family sessions, and 35 mini-sessions. 
+We rearranged the Emma Loo office and boy! Did we sure receive quite a following after that! Our office post was “re-pinned” 400+ times on Pinterest in just a couple of days and made it to the front page of the Instagram hashtag #officegoals. To y’all, that may not be a big thing…but to me…I FREAKED! (Oh! & we also bought a new iMac which was a HUGE investment but a HUGE highlight of the business! It’s made me SO much more productive. I was working for 4+ years off of my 13” cracked screen Macbook Pro…so this upgrade was quite necessary!) 
+We upgraded not only our computer, but our equipment as well. (I even wrote about what’s in my camera bag…read it here) Buying brand new equipment such as camera bodies and lenses meant a huge chuck of change went missing from our piggybank…but again, it’s been a great pay-off so far. Some of my favorite purchases this year has been the Canon 35mm 1.4 L and the Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art lens. Those two are seriously my babies. It’s crazy what a little switcharoo in equipment can do. I still live with the words that my professor in photography school told me: “It’s not what is 5-6inches in front of the eye that makes the photographer, but it’s what is 5-6 inches behind the eye that makes a photographer great.” Sure, ok…so a good lens and a fast body isn’t what makes a photographer great…but boy, it sure is fun to have! 😉 
+Making the most out of the Client Experience. This one has been a MUST for me this year with all of my new clients booking weddings and lifestyle sessions for 2016. I want to make each #EmmaLooBride and Groom feel welcomed and I’m striving to be more than just their photographer, but also their friend. Amping up my client experience meant delivering welcome gifts for my clients when they book with me, or sending handwritten ‘Thank You’ notes after a lifestyle session is delivered. It also meant bringing little gifts to sessions for children, or taking the time to text funny pictures to my wedding clients and sending extra long emails filled with tips on how to get them ready for their engagement session. Heck, even having some beers or lunch with clients after a session is always helpful too! (Hehe! When clients who book sessions in Asheville or Downtown Raleigh, we must take in the local eats, right?!) All of this is what helps make me more than a photographer, but a friend. Someone who will be able to capture those intimate and romantic moments with the bride and groom on their wedding day, or make the children smile and giggle, or help make laughing ridiculously to the camera a little less awkward.
+Holiday Mini-Sessions were a BIG hit this year! So I plan on bringing them back for 2016 as well! Plan on Spring AND Fall Mini-Sessions for next year! I can’t wait to do it all again! Mini-Sessions are just too much fun!
BUSINESS: CHALLENGES IN 2015
+Learning to “close up shop” and step away from the office when I need to. I’m not good a shutting down or letting go. (Even though the lyrics to Frozen’s “Let it Go” are ALWAYS in my head…thanks to my niece Savannah). I need to step away from my desk/email/cell phone/editing every now and then and actually enjoy being able to run my own business and be my own boss. I’ve never wanted to be the person who “works to live”. If I work too much, I’m afraid the joy will be sucked out of owning my own business and doing what I love, so I need to be careful. Hopefully, I will get better at managing my time more and work regular hours and live in the moments in between.
+Not discounting my work and valuing my talent. This one has been very hard for me this year, especially since I’m “kinda new” to this full-time thing. I need to value my craft and my talent and realize my worth. As hard as it may sound, it may mean telling some no, which isn’t my favorite thing to do. I read a quote somewhere that said “once you realize your worth, you’ll stop giving discounts”. I’ve tried to repeat that in my head every now and then. Part of me wants to just share my work with everyone and let everyone experience the joy of getting great images of you and your loved ones together…but then another part of me is saying “Emily, you need bills to be paid and you need to keep that roof over your head”. This is definitely a challenge that will probably seep over into next year as well, but I’ll always keep working at it.
+Being patient & waiting. I have that “I want it, and I want it now” mentality. This year, Emma Loo Photography has gained a new CFO…Phillip. He’s been SO great to me and helping me meet my photography equipment needs, but he also tells me when we need to wait on particular things and he’s been really good at telling me “No” which is quite often…especially when it involves buying $1,000+ lenses…crazy, right?! All the equipment that we’ve bought so far has all been paid in cash and we haven’t had to buy anything on credit. Being able to build a business like this has been a challenge, but again, it’s one of those that will most likely pay off in the future.
BUSINESS: GOALS FOR 2016
+Rebrand/Refresh/Renew I plan on rebuilding my entire Emma Loo brand for 2016. Honestly, this most likely won’t happen until late February or March, but it’s on the calendar, that’s for sure! I’m looking at turning my business into a bigger/better online brand that will feature everything that Emma Loo encompasses (think a webpage donned in teal & gold, handwritten calligraphy & fonts, Kate Spade inspired looks, and a main static page which will feature portfolio images and a separate blog site for updates on my personal life and work.) I can’t wait to work on this big & exciting project!
+Speed up Post-Production Editing is literally the death of me. I can’t stand to sit behind my computer for more than 2 hours. Sometimes, all I need is just a break…which leads into something else going on…which turns into cleaning the house…which..well…you get the idea. I need to speed up my editing process and post production. My goal is to get lifestyle sessions back to clients within 2-3 days, engagement sessions returned to clients by 5 days, and entire weddings blogged and returned by 10-15 days. It’s going to be A LOT of work on my end, and I may or may not have to be on some sort of ADD medication to do this (I’m self-diagnosed ADD, by the way.) but it will make me into a more productive photographer and business owner AND give me a little bit of my life back!
+Have my work published/get my work featured Talk about a scary goal. This is definitely one of those goals outside of my comfort zones, but hey! I’ve got to start somewhere, right? I’d love to see my work don the covers of magazines, wedding blogs, Pinterest, on the top pages of Instagram, or really…anywhere! I just want my work to be seen by more. It would be a huge confidence booster for me, but also a chance for me to strive for more! Fingers crossed I can make this happen in the next 365 days!
I simply can’t say it enough. 2015 has been such a wonderful year for me. I have enjoyed every single second of 2015 and I am so looking forward to the joys and delights that will come within the next 365 days. This year has been a whirl-wind of life changing events which have made my heart so full and explode with happiness.
It was such an honor to snap the shutter on those sweet memories in 2015 and I look forward to many more memories to capture. Thank you to all the incredible people who made 2015 such a wonderful year for me. To my Almighty Jesus, my loving Phillip, my family, my friends, my clients, my industry peers…thank you.
Much love & happy New Year y’all. XO! -Emma Loo
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