How is it December already?
Just nuts, really! November was a quiet month for me, which was likely a good thing, but the final month of the year kept me pretty busy. Between the first two weekends being booked nearly solid with Yule Goat holiday mini sessions as a partnership with EB Ranch, and a couple other sessions, I think 2020 is all done unless something comes up between now and the 31st.
On December 5, I headed down to Ridgeland to catch up with a handsome boy named Bigelow (see our session from August) and his lovely stewardess, Erin Link. As an alternative to the quintessential Santa family photos, we decided to host mini sessions with Bigelow and a decked-out holiday scene complete with a sleigh and a picket fence. All that was missing was the snow! With the exception of loosening his lead rope from the sleigh, Bigelow was easily bribed with treats and an altogether very well-behaved goat. A huge thanks goes out to Erin's parents, Roger and Wendy, for letting us host the sessions at their home!
Between those two weekends, I also got to take some senior pictures at Windyfields Holsteins (with a sizable Milking Shorthorn division) just east of Clayton, Wisconsin. Trevor is about to graduate from Clayton High School and is the right-hand man alongside his parents, Adam and Jessica, on their 76-cow dairy farm. Jessica and I had been trying to coordinate a date and time for photos for a few months but between harvest and the weather, we weren't able to nail something down until a very warm and sunny December afternoon. We also got some family photos with their two pups! I even got a few shots of just Adam and Jess, who hadn't had their pictures done together since their wedding day. Here's a few snippets from an extremely lovely day. Trevor, an easygoing and sweet young man who wants to take over the family farm, wanted to include one of their tractors as well as two very special ladies in his life.
I'm talking about cattle, of course.
Radison the Milking Shorthorn is Trevor's show cow and won her class at the Minnesota State Fair in 2019, while Grace is a Holstein fall yearling that was born the same day that two of his classmates died in a car accident. Both girls are very near and dear to his heart for different reasons, but the love for each of them is equal.
Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you.
To God.
To my husband, family, and friends.
To my clients.
To fellow photogs who encouraged me and helped me grow.
To supporters of all stripes.
I thought for sure that 2020 was going to bring me down and kick my ass with all its cancellations and lockdowns, but instead it has brought me to my knees in praise. Between shooting nearly twice as many sessions as last year, nearly four times the income as last year, four weddings, two magazine covers, several rights purchases, building a website, being featured in one of my favorite magazines as their featured farm photographer, booking a wedding more than a year in advance with a contract, my first boudoir session (no sneak peeks there, sorry!), and a whole lot of other milestones along the way, thank you for making this year absolutely unforgettable in all the right ways.
