2015 was an absolutely crazy year for Moxie Design. We made some of changes, learned some awesome photography tips and tricks and got the privilege to work with and get to know some absolutely amazing clients who turned into friends. Being a bit nostalgic, I wanted to share the top ten moments, events and memories that transpired over the past 365 days. I wake up every morning so grateful to get to call my favorite hobby my career and I can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store.
Cheers to these moments from 2015 in no particular order:
#10- Having images of my seniors featured on social media by the organizations that I have looked up to for years – Seniorologie, Seniors ignite, Modern senior, We are The Seen
#9- Appearing on Paula Sands Live. It was so awesome to be able to be featured on such an iconic show for the Quad Cities to share a little bit about my passion for senior photography. Thanks, PSL! To see our segment from the show, click here: Paula Sands Segment
#8- Having two of my Class of 2016 girls make it to the finals in the We Are The Seen national modeling competition. I’m so proud of you, Emma & Erin!
#7- Being honored with four awards – Seniorologie People’s Choice Award for 2015/ Senior Style Guide’s Hot 100 Senior Photographers from across the globe / Best Photographer in the Quad Cities / Named one of the top 25 Senior Photographers by the Twelfth Year (this one came last night before the ball dropped!!)
#6- Working with the awesome folks at Milltown Coffee to provide some artwork for their walls. I fell in love with metal prints this year (along with most of my clients) and was so happy to collaborate with such an amazing local business displaying some QC landmark images. (Check out Milltown Coffee at 3800 River Drive in Moline – you won’t regret it)!
#5- Meeting up with the uber talented McClanahan’s of McClanahan Studio in Ames for an intense one on one full day workshop. I learned so much from Dan & Alex that my head felt like it was going to explode on the drive home. I have to credit Dan with ripping off my bandaid of fear when it came to off camera lighting – and in turn, opening up a whole new world of creativity. (and as you can tell by the photo, we had a bit of fun during the whole learning process)
#4- Moving into our new house. This one happened so quickly that at times, it still seems like a dream. We needed more room and toyed with the idea of building a new home and went to check out a house that was not to far away from where we were currently living so we could get an idea of what kind of square footage we would want to base things on (with no intention of buying said house). Two weeks later, we put in an offer on that exact home and then listed our house for sale by owner. We got a call within fifteen minutes of listing with a buyer and literally thirty days later, we were moving in to our forever home. A huge part of the reason we wanted to look for something larger was to accommodate Moxie with a new studio space and a gallery room for my premier viewing & ordering sessions. After eight months of pouring our heart (along with blood, sweat and tears) into the house, it is definitely feeling like home and we couldn’t be happier.
#3- Haus of Heir Partnership – I cannot say enough amazing things about Cameron, Ramiro and the amazing staff at Haus of Heir! Deciding to partner with this amazing boutique salon was probably the best decision that I made all year in regards to Moxie. Being able to add professional hair and makeup to my senior sessions is huge, but when you are working with a top notch salon like Haus of Heir, it is absolutely mind blowing. The talented artists at HOH truly understand what it takes to make my senior girls camera ready and their work always instantly boosts the girls’ self esteem, which ensures that their session starts off on the right foot. I LOVE Haus of Heir and I will continue to scream their praises from the rooftops!
#2- The scariest and single most important decision that I made all year – Deciding to be a high school senior photographer – exclusively. This one was tough for me because I truly loved working with all of the families, babies and couples that I have met over the last few years. I had spent days, scratch that, weeks building a website that offered examples of the many different types of photography I offered. The day that I made the decision to truly focus on the high school market, I panicked a little, even though I knew I was following my heart. What if it didn’t work out? What if the phone didn’t ring? Should I really commit to doing this? It was then that I had a conversation with one of my senior photog mentors who said that focusing exclusively on the senior market would be a game changer – and it was. I am SO THANKFUL that I decided to jump off of that high dive and never look back.
#1- Meeting amazing seniors and their families. Although this list is in random order, make no mistake, number one is definitely my favorite, hands down. I love that a senior session with Moxie Design can boost the self confidence confidence of my guys + girls, but that I often hear that the photo session was one of their favorite memories of their senior year. When I get an email with kind words from a parent or invited to birthdays and graduation parties for my seniors it is the best feeling. I make a huge effort to get to know my seniors and their families and those relationships last far beyond the pick up date of their canvases and grad announcements. I truly treasure each and every one of my past clients and can’t wait to meet the incoming Class of 2017! Let’s do this.
Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.
