Goodbye, 2021! – Hannah Barlow Photography

For once in my life, I’m REALLY going to keep it short in this blog – well, we’ll see, at least.  I’m saying GOODBYE to 2021!  This photo below was a “test shot” that Lacey took at Madison and Derek’s wedding.  I think I was getting ready to turn around and ask, “You good?!” before Brian started the night off.  Once I saw it, I KNEW it would be the perfect send off…walking out of 2021…walking into the 2022 wedding season!

I actually didn’t do this blog last year.  Nope.  2020 was rough…we all lived it.  I watched businesses shut down and very nervously watched my business keep plugging along.  I survived…we all did!  But I just couldn’t muster the energy to do the December 31st “goodbye” blog.  Well, maybe that just set me up for a rough 2021.  Who knows.  When we were the only vendors who were able to arrive on time for our first wedding this year (the roads were TERRIBLE)…I should have known.  That should have been my clue that 2021 was going to be taxing…like never before.  My poor couples…they had disasters at weddings like never before and while I tried by darnedest to help…sometimes there was nothing we go do but stand by and be supportive.  Murphy’s law was real this year.  What could go wrong DID go wrong and it felt like every wedding something was being thrown at me and/or my couples…things that have NEVER happened before…in seven wedding seasons.  By fall, the Hannah Barlow Photography team knew…wedding after wedding…that something crazy was going to happen.  We weren’t necessarily prepared…but we were prepared…ya know?  When that “thing” would go wrong, we’d just look at each other and laugh.  We expected SOMETHING and then we’d laughed and say, “AH!  There it is!”  BUT…it’s the smiling faces and the hugs and all the kind words I received from our couples that kept us going.  I didn’t always have time or opportunity to get selfies with everyone…but I’m very thankful for the ones we did get!

That’s right. Not only are there 2021 couples in those photos, but there’s past couples…parents…families…you name it!  This year really showed the love and loyalty you all have to the HBP team and experience and I’m forever grateful!  It’s one of the only things that kept me going coming into the end of the year.  Also, HUGE shoutout to the HBP team for keeping me sane!  Ashleigh, Kari, Lacey, Sam, and Emily…you saved my sanity this year!  Sometimes I was beyond my stress point and you all just said, “What can I do?”    You all worked your butts off.  There were some weddings I was barking orders in those ever so stressful and unbelievable moments and you all raised the bar for what assistant and second shooters should be for a wedding photographer like me.  THANK YOU!

Also, there’s one more person that’s part of the “team” but you don’t get to see her and that’s Ali.  I’ve hinted about Ali here and there throughout the year but she quite literally SAVED me and my sanity this year.  She’s my editor.  That’s right!  I let go of control, which has NEVER happened before.  With 33 weddings, I knew I was going to need help if I was going to keep up with my 1-1.5 week turn around time.  So, she edited almost ALL of your photos for me this year.  I still edit a bare minimum of each wedding so she knows exactly how I want them to look (and so you don’t lose the HBP look) and then she goes in and makes every single photo in your gallery match what I want and to tell you I’m grateful…wouldn’t even express my true feelings.  Ali is organized and amazing and she’ll even email me and say “Hey…did you know there are eyes closed on this photo?”  That’s not even part of her job but she makes sure I know.  Also, she lives in Europe…and her life is absolutely magical – storybook, really.

Everyone…give Ali a HUGE round of applause!  She’s the best and I can’t wait for her to keep helping the HBP train go in 2022!  Photo Credit:  Ali! 🙂 I stole this from her amazing IG feed!

And as much as I “hate” to send my fellow photographer friends her way (because, let’s be honest…I don’t want her to get super busy successful and be able to quit this job…I don’t know what I’d do…HA!)…she deserves it.  So, if you need editing help… get a hold of her.  You will NOT regret it!  Promise!

https://www.alizurschmiede.com

Told you!  On that note, peace out 2021!  This is the official end of year blog…here’s to an AMAZING 2022 wedding season!  Let’s do this!  Requesting all the good vibes from the Weddings Gods!