2012 Year in Review

2011 sucked. It sucked. I was sick. I was in pain. I was suffering. Nobody knew it. I didn’t even really know it.  I was overweight. I was depressed. I was fatigued. I had joy in my life but I couldn’t enjoy it. Milo was barely 6 months old, so of course, I felt like most of my ‘ailments’ were the result of just having a baby. But as we got farther away from his birth, it was hard to find reason why I was feeling the way I was. As time went on, I was dealing with more and more health isssues and couldn’t find a diagnosis. It was frustrating, depressing, and lonely.

In 2011, others who were close to me were also suffering. I saw the death of a baby, stillborn at 38 weeks gestation. I saw the struggle of my close family members as they tried and tried for years to conceive another baby with no success. I saw the loss of a baby at 20 weeks pregnancy. I saw others go through pain and suffering with their own illnesses and ailments.

It was the lowest of low. After  coming off so much sorrow and pain from the deaths of my brother, my dog, and my nephew all happening in a matter of a year and a half, and seeing my friends and family suffer, the health issues were just the icing on top of a depressing cake.

I finally got a diagnosis, which at the time was grim: Chronic Lyme Disease. Grim because it wasn’t a quick fix. Grim because it’s a life-long thing with life-long complicated treatments. Grim because nobody knows or understands the disease.

If you look back at my 2011 year in review, you’d never really know that there was so much heaviness and overwhelming sadness wrapped up in that year. Because, as a photographer, I get to be part of people’s lives when they are experincing joy.

And, oh, how grateful I am for that! Photography, long before 2011, has saved me. Yes, first and foremost, I give all the praise and honor and glory to God. But also, I firmly believe that God has given me photography as a tool to heal. Heal myself and help others to heal. How I have loved being part of such incredible experiences in 2011. And the same goes for 2012.

 2012 was a pinnacle year for me. Personally and professionally, I crossed milestones and met goals that I never imagined I’d do all in one short year.

I started the year 2012 with only one wedding booked ….and finished the year with 12.

I anticipated photographing a couple of births. Never knowing that the first time I’d be photographing a C-section birth it would also be the week of my second C-section birth AND it would happen all in the same week that I also photographed a THIRD baby’s birth. (Could ya follow that?) 🙂

And I ended the year seeing more babies being born than I ever have in my life. And was honored each and every time.

In 2011, I met an awesome family who had just adopted sweet, sweet, Joseph.

In 2012, I got the privilege to photograph his brother being welcomed into the family.

I opened a studio in my house. This resulted in some of my most favorite squishy newborn photos. ever.

I got to photograph and learn from an internationally known wedding photographer.

I got to see renewal of joy and life breathed into people that had been through loss.

I was privileged to be the photographer for a few of my photographer friends this year. It’s an honor ….and, quite honestly, a great weight loss strategy as I couldn’t eat or I’d want to throw up out of nervousness! LOL.

My own family made for fantastic photos this year with new announcements, babies being born, and graduating high school and just goofing around in a field.

And, in 2012, I told Lyme Disease to go to hell.

Sure, it doesn’t listen and it sticks around but I’m gonna make the most of my time here regardless of  how it tries to get me down.  I met a couple of people who also have Lyme and it saved me, validated me, and lifted me up. I learned treatment options and have seen much progress and reduction of my symptoms and I have not let it stop me from taking kick-ass photos.

Illness, death, pain, and sorrow do not cease while we are here on this earth. There were plenty of sad things that happened in 2012. But I am so grateful for my horrible 2011 year because going through that gave me so much to give to others who suffer. I got to use that in 2012.

And when you combine that with my passion and skill for photography, I see God’s purpose in it.

So please enjoy this year in review. It’s a long post and I feel brief sadness knowing some of these photos are just going to get a passing glance as you scroll…. but know that they were picked not only because they ‘look’ good but they also ‘feel’ good.

It feels good to see love. It feels good to see redemption. It feels good to see joy. new life. beautiful brides and grooms and their friends and families that came to celebrate with them. loving families. new babies. tears of joy.

It feels good.

It feels good to me, yes, but also to my wonderful family, friends, and clients who are in these images.

Thank you so much for making this a successful year, professionally, but most importantly personally.

Love,

Donna

Happy New Year! Here’s to an awesome 2013!