It was a relatively slow year on the photography front. In fact, 2023 seems rife with setbacks if you want to dwell on the negatives. Fortunately, I have some very bright lights in my life who remind me how good I have it. This year, the lack of business features some amazing bookends with my friend Nathaniel Goodwin.
Leading Off
As far as portrait sessions go, I count eight on the year. This doesn’t count photography events attended where I took some images while networking. Three of those portrait sessions? Nate. We always have a goal but our planning tends to be minimal. Not every model can work that way, but we seem to do okay. Following our second session of the year, we managed to get our collaboration on a magazine cover and a Times Square billboard.
Bookends Capping Off 2023
The week before Christmas, Nate paid another visit to the humble home studio. Again, we had a goal but no hard plan. As usual, we talked as much as we shot. This was my first visit with “Doctor Nate”. That’s right! Nate’s hard work paid off only a couple of weeks earlier when he was awarded his doctoral degree. It seems that his trajectory towards his goals matches his favorite saying: “The Galaxy Is The Limit.”
The Last Gift of 2023
And, just to wrap it all up nicely with a bow, Dr. Nathaniel Goodwin is featured as a Rising Star on an industry website. That is twice in a year that Nate’s goals have put my photography in front of a larger audience. Did I say twice? Well, three timeswhen you count one more article. While I am drowning in my day job and questioning how much effort to put into my photography business, Nate gives me constant encouragement.
The constant reminder that I can be more, that the galaxy is the limit, is invaluable to me. Thank you, Nate, for making 2023 stand out in a time I feel like I have barely managed to blend in.
