It is December 14th when I begin to write this year in review. And that fact alone is a accomplishment to me! I think back to last year at this time, and I can’t even remember what I did with my time. It’s fuzzy to me. I was in the thick of things after having lost my mom to cancer in September, just two years after losing my dad. I became the executor of her will, and was dealing with all the legal and administrative crap that comes with dying. I was extremely behind on my work… so I guess I must have been editing in December. This year, I have finished ALL editing as of a couple days ago. I will have photographed 95 proffessional shoots in 2024, compared to 80 in 2023. I have increased my volume of work, yet I have completed and delivered my work earlier, and I even went camping multiple times! In the following text, I will reflect on the things I feel are highlights from my 2024 year as a full-time wedding photographer. My third year full-time. These will not be in order of significance, just throwing them out as them come through my head :)
1. Photographing a Wedding Couple up Wesley Ridge
Wesley Ridge, the mountain overlooking Cameron Lake, is a place near and dear to my heart. I’ve hiked this mountain no word of a lie, probably 300 times. Maybe more! When I was working at Naked Naturals in Qualicum Beach, I worked the deli opening shift and was off at 2pm every day. So, even in the dead of winter I had just enough time to boogie to Wesley Ridge and hike. I would do this 3-5 times a week… multiply by 3 years, sprinkle in the fact that I still hike here every month, 300 seems reasonable! Also, when I was laid off of my last job at Express Custom Manufacturing, I hiked 60 days of mountains in a row, mostly up Wesley Ridge and CPR Trail, so add at least 30 in a two month period. I’ve offered the idea of hiking to this location for photos to clients before, and was THRILLED when Marissa and Kevin asked if I would shoot a post-wedding photoshoot up the mountain. It was a HELL YES, and a truly special moment for me. ♥ Read the full story here: https://www.deveephotography.net/marissa-kevins-post-wedding-mountain-photoshoot/
2. Became Tigh Na Mara’s Small Wedding Package Photographer!
Last winter, I was offered to become Tigh Na Mara’s optional wedding photographer with their small wedding packages. This is a convenient, easy planning tool offered by Tigh Na Mara for smaller weddings where a check list of preferred vendors can be added to their day. Florals by Petal Kettle? Check. Cake by Sugar Fix? Check. Two hours of photography by Devee Photography? Check. These are vendors that work with the venue regularly, and are recommended with ease and confidence to their couples. When I found out that this existed a couple of years ago, it became a goal of mine to be added to that list. So, this was another incredible moment when I was approached to do just that. I can’t rave enough about Tigh Na Mara and how awesome they are. It’s a true pleasure every time I have the opportunity to work here. In 2024, out of 32 weddings, I was at Tigh Na Mara 16 times! 8 of which were with the Small Wedding Packages. So. Utterly. Grateful. ♥
3. An August of Little Work, A Better Balance
I was incredibly protective over my August this year. I wasn’t even consciously aware of why that was. But I realize that last August was the hardest month of my life. I was stretched beyond my functioning capacity between 13 weddings and caretaking for my mom who was diagnosed with incurable cancer in early August. I had 4 weeks with her, and 13 weddings. I did not know that I only had 4 weeks with her. I was doing so much, so much that was incredibly important. I felt that I was the one trying to save my moms life since the doctor said there was nothing that could be done. And weddings… those are so important too! But I kept every one of them, except one which I had covered. In hindsight I don’t know if that was the right thing to do. But I give myself grace for doing whatever the hell I did just to get through it.
This year, in August I only said yes to six photo gigs. I remember kindly declining about 8 family photoshoot requests in a couple of days, and feeling okay about it. I really guarded my August to keep plenty of time for hiking and camping. And I did that! Landslide Lake has been my goal for three years, and it finally happened. And it was perfect.
Overall, this year has been much better balanced than my previous two years of being full-time. I didn’t fill every summer weekend up with work, although I could have. The inquiries just kept coming and I am so grateful! But I knew I needed to keep space for what fuels me the most, and that’s camping. ♥
4. Incorporating More Edgy Poses
In February I signed up for a content creation workshop with Wild and Cozy out of Port Alberni. A pair of real-life lovers who model among many other things. This day was fantastic, with multiple sets to shoot, everybody walked away with a ton of content. I also signed up for Island Moments Photography’s Wanderlust Workshop in April, which was also freaking unreal beautiful and inspiring. After shooting a few weddings, I began to realize that I had been throwing some more edgy poses into my work. I realized this must have come from these two experiences and I am so glad! Check out one of those sets here from Wild and Cozy: https://www.deveephotography.net/whimsical-lakeside-elopement-with-wild-and-cozy/
5. Flow Posing More Efficient
With 33 weddings in 2023, and 32 in 2024, I really racked up the experience quickly. I’ve shot 149 now in my 10 years of doing this, the majority being in the last 3 years as a full-timer. I have seen much development! My flow posing has strengthened and I feel I can capture a good variety of images in a short amount of time using this technique. I use it with both bridal party and bride and groom posing. Sometimes, timelines just don’t go to plan, and what’s usually shortened is the formal photo taking part. I’ve had thirty minutes shortened to 15, and I can still work with that. It’s actually become second nature and doesn’t take any extra digging to come up with these poses. With so much back-to-back practice, I’ve really got it dialed in. :D
6. Upgrading My Camera Gear, Computer and Editing Programs!
During the off-season, when my editing queue is very low, I went ahead and took my partners advice to upgrade my computer. It was a two week process of upgrading parts of my PC, ultimately to replace EVERY SINGLE PART! It was a rabbit hole for sure. When one thing was upgraded, another required upgrading. So, $1600 later I have a new beast of a machine, with a beautiful, big monitor so I can see all those edits! I am grateful for my brother who built mine from around 8 years ago, but it was definitely time to upgrade. No longer am I waiting 1-2 seconds in between every Photoshop/Lightoom move. 1-2 seconds might not seem like much, but multiply this by 90,000 photos… it’s a lot of time saved. I also upgraded my main two camera bodies, whose files required me to install Lightroom. And that was a game changer from my using just Photoshop originally. I think back to how I used to use that and CANNOT BELEIVE I DID! I just had no idea how much better it was! Oh, silly me. This also contributed to time saved overall, allowing me to deliver photos faster and achieve a better life, work balance.
7. Establishing Boundaries
This year, I was firm about only booking full-coverage wedding packages on all prime Saturday’s from June-September. These are highly likely to be booked, and as a result make up a large portion of my yearly income. It is not financially viable for me to book anything smaller. I had no push back with this, and all of my couples understood. Yay! Another boundary I had to put in place was not allowing any complimentary engagement photoshoots to take place from June-August. These take up valuable summer days, and lengthen my delivery times to my wedding and family photography clients. Again, everyone understood and appreciated that I had my clients best interest at heart! A third implementation to my business this year was extending my delivery dates from 6-8 weeks for a full coverage day, to 8-10 weeks. I was still hustling editing all the dang time, but it was attainable and allowed breathing space in case of life.
8. Photographing More Branding and Commercial Work
In 2023, I had 8 commercial gigs booked. In 2024, I shot a total of 16. A 100% increase! It was FABULOUS to work with a variety of new brands to enhance their photography presence. Brands such as Call Keri, Coastal Water Store, Arrowsmith Smokehouse, Crossfit Qualicum Beach, Dermapure Parksville, Fulmer and Co, Lauren Power Consulting, Koers and Associates Engineering Ltd., Riptide Lagoon, and a few other headshot clients. This was SO much fun and I aspire to increase again next year.
9. Started Offering Client Closet Dresses
I’ve invested in multiple dresses this year that are designed by photographers, for photography. They are adjustable to fit a variety of body sizes, and photograph incredibly well. The colors, the textures, and the movement are all top notch with these beauties. I’ve seen them used mostly for maternity shoots, but they are available to any client to level up their wardrobe styling. See what I’ve got here: https://www.deveephotography.net/client-closet-dresses/
10. New Wedding Venues
I adore shooting at a venue I’ve already been to, it’s a perk to be familiar with the grounds already. But it’s also a thrill to shoot at places I’ve never been. I do my best to check them out ahead of time, but there’s nothing like the experience gained from actually shooting there. This year, eight new venue spaces were added to my repertoire! Well, one will likely never be a wedding venue again… Gorosh Cranes of Nanaimo. The couple wore safety harnesses with their wedding attire, and took the officiant, both sets of parents, and themselves 200+ feet high into the air in a man basket to perform the ceremony. Epic! There were two new golf courses, a prominent Nanaimo church, and two stunning hidden gem settings in Port Alberni- Arrowvale Campground and the Alberni Fish and Game Club.
- Arbutus Ridge Golf Course, Cobble Hill
- Highland Pacific Golf Course, Victoria
- Black Brooke Lodge, Bowser
- St Peters Church + Vancouver Island Conference Center, Nanaimo
- Gorosh Cranes, Nanaimo
- Arrowvale Campground and Alberni Fish and Game Club, Port Alberni
I am so grateful that this is my work. To notice people and do my best to capture what I see. I look forward to 2025 and my fourth year as a full-time photographer! -Deanna ♥