Wow! Is it really 2014 already? Just yesterday, it seems like it was 1996. Time flies and that’s all the more reason to document it photographically!

This year marks the official start of Ata-Girl’s fourth year in business. It’s been an incredibly fun four years of learning, meeting new people, and capturing memories and art that will be everlasting. Each year, I like to begin the year with a list of goals as they relate to San Antonio wedding photography. While some of the goals I come up with a very realistic, some of them only begin as ideas or wishes—and a few of those have come true… like last year when I second shot for an international wedding photographer. The list becomes a target that I keep my eye on all year long trying to achieve as many as possible. Here are my goals for 2011, 2012 and 2013. So, without further adieu, I’d like to introduce you to my goals for 2014!

1. Go full-time! I’m ready to take a gigantic leap of faith and conquer Ata-Girl 24/7! The last few years have been really hard to keep up with! I’ve been working a full-time job for Cactus and nearly a full-time job with Ata-Girl. Most evenings, I come home from the Cactus job to sit at my home office desk and put another four or five hours on the work clock. Many of my Saturdays and Sundays have been spent working for at least another eight hours each. When you add that all together, that’s 40 hours a week for Cactus and on average, 36 hours for Ata-Girl. Marketing, networking, shooting, blogging, learning, editing and dreaming takes a lot of time! I’m ready to dedicate every waking hour to my Ata-Girl company and clients! (I made this happen! My first full-time day with Ata-Girl was December 30!)
2. Go full-frame! I’ve been shooting on a cropped frame sensor for a while with my D7000?s, but I’d really like to go full-frame. While the D7000 is an amazing tool, I could really use less grain and noise in my images in those extremely low light situations. I wish I could just make up my mind… D600, D700, D800, D3 or D4!? Decisions, decisions.
3. Have a home studio! I’d love an official/professional office where I can meet with prospective clients, work in harmony away from my home office, and possibly even capture some images in a studio setting. It would also be a great place to have the makeup artists meet with my senior girls before their sessions.
4. WPPI 2015! I haven’t even attended the 2014 WPPI in Vegas yet (March 1-March 7), but I’m hoping it will be an amazing opportunity to grow and learn and network! I’d like to remain a member and possibly even join the PPA!
5. Print Ads. Is a full-spread in San Antonio Weddings too much to ask for? I’m probably looking at about a $4K price tag. This goal might move to the long term list.
6. Get fit! I really slipped up on this goal from last year pretty bad. It’s time to take this by the horns and get busy!
7. 10 Weddings. I barely met my goal in 2013 of four weddings, “So, why not triple it?” I ask myself.
8. Financial goals. I won’t go into specifics here, but I’m setting a very specific goal of a grossing a certain dollar amount.
9. Be featured. Web or print, I don’t care. I will look for opportunities to submit my work for features. I’ve never done this, so I will be treading foreign waters. However, I think there’s much to be gained in the credibility and exposure departments!
10. Video Promo. I’d love to work with a video professional to put together a three-minute promotional.
11. Blog 3X/Week. Blogging two times a week in 2013 wasn’t enough (insert sarcasm). The argument in my head is that I will have much more time to effectively blog. So, I’m upping the minimum to three times a week.
12. Prepare for a Wedding Expo in 2015. Again, this will be something new to try. For many years, I’ve heard both extremes about wedding expos. About half of photographers believe wedding expos are just a waste of time filled with budget-conscious brides who are mostly looking for freebies and drastically reduced prices. The other half of photographers swear by them claiming that’s how they gain a majority of new business—even top professionals like Sal Cincotta. I’d like to give it a try just once in order to gain my own perspective.

So, there you have it. Here is a list of most of my San Antonio wedding photography goals for this year. I’ve kept a few for my own private amusement and I’ll definitely add to this as the year progresses and I come up with other ideas. Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

**The images contained in this post were shot under the direction and for assignment of Rhobin’s Nest Photography, LLC. The images are copyrighted by Rhobin’s Nest Photography, LLC, but are used herein with permission.

Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.

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I am a San Antonio-based wedding and senior photographer who started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. As one of the up-and-coming San Antonio wedding photographers, I am also available to shoot in Austin, Houston and Dallas and the surrounding areas. I am also available for destination weddings worldwide. Ata-Girl Photography Co. offers an amazing wedding photography service that you won’t soon forget.  As a professional photographer, my sole purpose is to provide you the absolute best photography experience.

I am a professional photographer who enjoys documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I enjoy watching my daughter play softball, hiking, cycling, reading, and listening to Elvis!

The post, 2014 Photography Goals!, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.