Dear First name / Friend,
Happy New Year! 🎉 I hope you all had a safe and relaxing holiday. My husband and I were both recovering from separate COVID infections so it was pretty quiet around here. I tested positive while on my way to a job in California and was stuck there over a week, sick and stuck in a hotel 😫. He tested positive after getting it from someone he works with. While I wouldn't say 2021 was completely bad, it sure ended on a rough note.
From what I've seen online, it looks like a lot of people, like myself, are struggling to keep a positive mindset right now. It's hard to get excited about a new year when there is still so much uncertainty in our lives and in the world. But we need to continue to live and find things to look forward to because things are going to get better. It reminds me of that line from Sleepless in Seattle…"Well, I'm gonna get out of bed every morning... breathe in and out all day long. Then, after a while I won't have to remind myself to get out of bed every morning and breathe in and out..." It's going to happen, friends. There are brighter days ahead. 🌞 And remember, you're not alone. We're in this together! ❤️ |
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Quick Tip - 3 Ways to Grow Your Photography Skills in 2022 |
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For this month's Quick Tip, I want to share with you three ways you can grow as a photographer in the coming year. 1. Set up Practice Sessions I'm going to say something that will blow some of your minds - go out and take photos without getting paid. Yep, free photography! I do it all the time and I have throughout my entire photography career. If the only time you pick up a camera is when someone is hiring you, I can almost guarantee you are not growing much in your craft. A paid session is NOT the time to be trying a lot of new things or refining a new skill - that's what practice sessions are for. I made a whole video about this you can watch here: How to Grow Your Photography Skills and Gain Confidence. 2. Ask Yourself This Question “How can I make this better?” This simple question is one of my secrets to growing as a photographer. As photographers, we develop comfort zones and just take the same photos the same way every time. The way to break out of that is by pushing yourself a little further each time, asking “How can I make this better?" until there you can't think of any other options. I made a video about this too: Ask This ONE Question for Better Photos. 3. Take a Workshop or Online Course In addition to practice, it can be helpful to learn from other photographers both in and out of your industry. This can be done online or at a hands-on workshop. Here are some online learning websites and workshop options I've heard good things about! - Phyllis Burchett - Phyllis offers a lot of great hands-on photography workshops and tours. I'm going on her Iceland tour this year and am SO excited! She also has a fantastic email newsletter you should subscribe to.
- Chris Dickinson - If you've ever wanted to do western lifestyle photography, Chris' workshops are the place to be! He's also one of the most kind and generous people I've met in this industry.
- Ryan Courson - Ryan hosts a weeklong workshop in British Colombia I would like to attend sometime - it looks like it would be a fun photo-vacation!
- Tamara Gooch - If you love photographing gorgeous baroque and other exotic breeds of horses, then check out Tamara Gooch's workshops,
- Equine Photo School - This is a website a friend recently shared with me and I don't know the instructor at all but he has some interesting courses and a podcast. The focus is on Rodeo photography, so if that interests you, check it out!
- Equine Photographers Network - EPNet offers both online and in-person educational opportunities for equine photographers.
- KelbyOne - Not an equine-specific site but if you want to dive deep into topics such as lighting, Photoshop, Lightroom, creativity, the list goes on!
- YouTube - Don't forget about YouTube! It's a wealth of FREE photography instruction! Make sure you are subscribed to my channel and even hit the notification bell if you want to be notified when I make a new video!
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What I'm Reading and Listening To Eating… |
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I'll be honest, I didn't read or listen to much since the last newsletter because life went off the rails. Let me share a few favorite winter recipes I made over the holidays instead! 😂 I'm no chef and if something has a bunch of ingredients, I just can't, so these are simple and quick. ps. I cook mostly in my Instant Pot, because I rarely plan ahead 🙈! Salsa Soup - Hands-down the best thing I make. Every person I feed it to or share the recipe with LOVES it! Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats - This is a nice warm breakfast ready in minutes! I like to dump all the ingredients in and start this cooking it before I go feed the horses and let them out. When I come back in, it's ready to eat! Chicken and Rice Soup - I made this last weekend and am excited it's almost lunchtime so I can have more! |
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I sincerely hope you are enjoying the Pegasus Journal. If you know of another photographer you think might benefit from these emails, would you consider sharing it email with them? Thank you! And, as always, if there's anything I can do to help you grow as a photographer, please reach out by hitting reply to this email. 😊 |
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