1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Some, erm, gardening (kind of). Birmingham.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
For 2011 my resolutions were to ‘build on what ever success I achieved in 2010, but also work on getting the balance in my life right. To have more time for family and friends. To take better care of myself. And to properly ENJOY the ride.’

I think I achieved the first bit with bells on, the latter part, not so much, although it is a work in progress… So my resolutions for 2012 are to get closer to that balance thing, socialise more, get into better shape, and fingers crossed sleep more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
The whole world most likely.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
Finland, Scotland, Malta, Italy (twice, woo!).

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More sleep.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
25th of July as had a lovely lovely birthday party.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Maybe winning the title of ‘Best Wedding Photographer, London and South East‘ in the 2012 Wedding Industry Awards.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to balance work and life.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Still dealing with the consequences of previous year’s injury…

11. What was the best thing you bought?
iPad!

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Susanna of course, and Stu goes without saying. Emma for keeping me sane and giggling, Steph for being my guardian fairy.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
No-one I’d like to publicly name and shame. But I am finding it quite hard to get over.

14. Where did most of your money go?
House stuff. It’s never ending.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Going to Italy, my birthday party, seeing Emma in a play.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2011?
Adele – Someone Like You.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter (sigh).
iii. richer or poorer? About the same.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, socialising, relaxing, loving life, exercising. (No change from last year there!)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressing, worrying and doing things for people who don’t appreciate it.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve at home with mum, Pauli and Stu. Boxing Day with Stu’s family.

21. How did you spend New Years?
At home making Bellinis with Sooz & Stu.

22. Did you fall in love in 2011?
More and more with watching my couples in love.

23. How many one night stands?
0. (Imagine the year when this suddenly has a high number! :D)

24. What were your favourite TV programmes?
Californication, True Blood, Dexter.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is such a strong word. Disappointed for sure.

26. What was the best book you read?
Sarah Rayner – One Moment, One Morning.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
New to me more than new in general… Angus & Julia Stone.

28. What did you want and get?
iPad!

29. What did you want and not get?
Holiday somewhere warm. Kitchen & bathroom.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
True Grit.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I threw an actual party for my 35th! A lovely, lovely picnic in our garden filled with old and new friends. Loved it.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More sleep.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
I did start making more of an effort towards the latter part of the year. Dresses are back on the agenda.

34. What kept you sane?
Other lovely people in the industry.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Colin.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Riots in London made me so very angry.

37. Who did you miss?
Lots of people in Finland. Miikka and Johanna especially.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Emma & Pete, Steph, Ed… I can’t believe I only met these people this year, they are already such a huge and integral part of my life.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
You can’t please everyone.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I was a heavy heart to carry
My beloved was weighed down
My arms around his neck
My fingers laced to crown.

I was a heavy heart to carry
My feet dragged across ground
And he took me to the river
Where he slowly let me drown

My love has concrete feet
My love’s an iron ball
Wrapped around your ankles
Over the waterfall

I’m so heavy, heavy
Heavy in your arms
I’m so heavy, heavy
Heavy in your arms

And is it worth the wait
All this killing time?
Are you strong enough to stand
Protecting both your heart and mine?

Who is the betrayer?
Who’s the killer in the crowd?
The one who creeps in corridors
And doesn’t make a sound

My love has concrete feet
My love’s an iron ball
Wrapped around your ankles
Over the waterfall

My love has concrete feet
My love’s an iron ball
Wrapped around your ankles
Over the waterfall

This will be my last confession
I love you never felt like any blessing
Whispering like it’s a secret
Only to condemn the one who hears it
With a heavy heart

Heavy heavy i’m so heavy in your arms
(i’m so) Heavy heavy i’m so heavy in your arms
(i’m so) Heavy heavy i’m so heavy in your arms
(i’m so) Heavy heavy i’m so heavy in your arms

I was a heavy heart to carry
my beloved was weighed down
My arms around his neck
My fingers laced to crown

I was a heavy heart to carry
But he never let me down
When he had me in his arms
My feet never touched the ground

I’m so heavy, heavy in your arms.
Florence + The Machine – Heavy in Your Arms

24th of  September
St. Julians, Malta

Have you ever had one of those moments where you suddenly get struck by an intense feeling of happiness? A moment where you feel like ‘everything will be ok’. It can happen anywhere, any time, and the best ones usually come when you least expect them. One of the strongest memories I have of such a feeling washing over me is from a moment when, years and years ago, I was sitting on a rush hour bus of all places, agitated and eager to get home – and suddenly some little thought unlocked this rush of positive emotions and made everything look so much better. The feeling was so sudden and unexpected that it’s forever burned into my mind. More often than not these moments pass really quickly, which is why I call them ‘flashes of happiness’.

There are ways we seek to consciously access those same feelings, often it means living vicariously through watching a powerful movie, listening to moving music or perhaps going through old photographs and seeing pictures taken at a specific time in our life. One of the most powerful ways I know of to evoke that sense of pure awe and happiness is watching an incredible musician performing live. It’s absolutely astonishing how much power a charismatic performance can have over us, how it’s possible to feel internally altered after such an experience.

For some (unfair) reason, us humans tend to concentrate on looking either back or forward, and while we do that, we often miss a lot of the present. For most of us, it requires a powerful experience or switch in routine to tap into those feelings of being content right now. I think those ‘accidental’ flashes of happiness are about much more than we give them credit for, I think they are reminders of our potential to be fully present, to embrace our lives fully.

There is this scene in the movie ‘The Hours’, where Meryl Streep’s character is telling her daughter about one day in her youth.

Clarissa: ‘I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know, that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself: So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn’t the beginning. It WAS happiness. It was the moment. Right then.’

That scene and thought process have forever haunted me since the first time I saw the film. The simple realisation that we should appreciate what we have right now – not either wait for something to happen or trust it to last – but rather appreciate the ride for what it is and always be aware of our potential to feel deeply right then and there.

Hindsight is such a human infliction. So often we are either overly nostalgic, hankering after past and better times, or we are in waiting mode, hoping that we’ll get to experience those big important moments. Here’s a secret. Those BIG moments, those moments which up on a movie screen always seem so unobtainable and perfectly lit – in real life they are mostly always internal. You have to try hard to learn to listen to them, and grab a hold of them there and then – and most of all, try your hardest to communicate them to the people who mean something to you.

Writing this comes at a poignant time for me. I’ve just woken up in a gorgeous bed in a hotel room in Malta feeling happy. The sun is sneaking in from underneath the curtain and I can smell the sea. Later today I get to photograph a beautiful wedding on this beautiful island, and call that work. So this is definitely one of ‘those moments’, underlined. And one of the reasons I put pen to paper. However, getting here has come at a cost and a lot of sacrifice. Working pretty much 24/7 has opened my professional life in ways that I never dreamed possible. But while I lie here in my gorgeous Maltese bed, I can’t escape the fact that my other half is thousands of miles away, all alone.

What draws me into photographing couples is the fact that I love watching people remember how lucky they are, and I love being a mirror to their own big movie moments. Realising we have an ability to tap into that every day magic when ever we choose to properly listen to the moment, and reach out to connect with another person, is such a powerful thing. And as much as I love working with that magic with my couples, I think I need to realise more of it in my own life as well. While working so hard at trying to facilitate those magic moments for other people, I sometimes neglect the one person who should receive the best of me.

Generally it’s those special circumstances that make us realise moments of happiness – such as a wedding days where most of us let our guard down and allow ourselves to express our feelings and share something magical with our nearest and dearest. Or travelling to a beautiful place such as this, feeling lucky and stepping outside of the normal routine. And while these beautiful surroundings help me to tap into that magic and to these thoughts, the real challenge is trying to find that place within myself every rainy day in the office, every grey week full of routines, as often as possible.

After all, wouldn’t it be pretty amazing is you could feel that way about your life most of the time? Why do we allow ourselves to make memories only at special circumstances? Waking up next to the one you love and letting them know you’re there for them, or really listening to your mum instead of being ‘too busy’ with your life, reaching out to stranger and learning who they really are, these things could open up an opportunity to create one of those moments every day.

The cruel thing about life, and equally what makes it so precious, is this – the only thing you can be sure of is that you are alive now, right at this moment.

So what are you going to do to make this moment magical?

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?
Bought property in the UK.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolution for 2010 was to ‘have the strength push towards taking the final steps into a more emancipated way of living, and once you get there, remember to enjoy what you’ve achieved, but never stop working towards being better/happier/closer to where you want to be‘. I definitely achieved the emancipation, no doubt about that. I haven’t really had time to enjoy it all yet though, it’s been such a whirlwind of a year. Very very satisfying, but hard work none the less. For 2011 my resolution is to build on what ever success I achieved in 2010, but also work on getting the balance in my life right. To have more time for family and friends. To take better care of myself. And to properly ENJOY the ride.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Seems like everyone is on their 4th round already. 2010 was the year where I completely lost the plot on what’s happening in ‘normal life’.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.

5. What countries did you visit?
France, Finland and ALL over the UK.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Some downtime with friends.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
12th of August when we finally completed on our new flat. It was a long road, but it was such a relief to finally be able to step through our own front door.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Finally resigning from the ‘day job’ and becoming a  full-time photographer.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being able to balance work and life.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had an accident in May where I pulled the ligaments in my ankle. This having happened right at the beginning of the busiest wedding season meant that I had to work through some horrid pain over the summer.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A home.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Susanna continued to be a rock. I also am very appreciative of all the support I’ve gotten from Stu this year, it never goes unnoticed even if I don’t always remember to express my gratitude.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
I think I’ve grown a pretty thick skin this year as a result of having to deal with customer service. Not many things affect me negatively any more, but sometimes lack of respect can sting.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Home, home, home. Can you say ‘money pit’.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Jesh de Rox Life {as an artform} workshop. My new floor. Seeing Imogen Heap live – twice.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2010?
Citizen Cope – Fame.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier x 1000.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, socialising, relaxing, loving life, exercising. (No change from last year there!)

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Over-delivering.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve at home with Stu. Boxing Day with Stu’s family.

21. How did you spend New Years?
At home surrounded by boxes of office stuff while S stripped wallpaper.

22. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Possibly fell more in love with witnessing love.

23. How many one night stands?
0.

24. What were your favourite TV programmes?
Good Wife, True Blood, Vampire *cough* Diaries.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I’ve been disillusioned with a lot of people.

26. What was the best book you read?
Emma Donoghue – Room. So so good.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Really should make more of an effort with new music… Sebastien Schuller, Rebekka Karijord, Florence + the Machine.

28. What did you want and get?
Work for myself successfully. Grey walls and wooden floor in my own home.

29. What did you want and not get?
iPad.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Inception.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Woke up in a little room in a Chateau in rural France after having photographed Alix & Manu’s wedding the previous day. Spent the rest of the day on a scary trip home. Turned 34 (which looks completely insane in black and white).

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Lack of pain.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Pyjamas vs. black.

34. What kept you sane?
Succeeding. Which proved I wasn’t insane to attempt it.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Colin.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Burn a Koran Day man. Although ‘stirred’ is a bit strong. Wikileaks.

37. Who did you miss?
Everyone. Especially Miikka.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Maz and the girls from WWJD camp. Rosie. Lots of lovely people I’ve got to know through Twitter. And so many awesome clients.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
Be authentic and it will resonate with the right people.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Your love is better than ice cream
Better than anything else that I’ve tried
And your love is better than ice cream
Everyone here know how to fight

And it’s a long way down
It’s a long way down
It’s a long way down to the place
Where we started from

Your love is better than chocolate
Better than anything else that I’ve tried
Oh love is better than chocolate
Everyone here knows how to cry

It’s a long way down
It’s a long way down
It’s a long way down to the place
Where we started from...
Sarah McLachlan – Ice Cream

I’m not gonna do the whole apologising for my absence thing, the best I can do is to promise to try to have a bit more time for myself, my personal photography, and this blog next year. Over the holidays I’m hoping to finally dig up some personal images that I’ve completely neglected to even get off cards, much less blog, as I’ve been so busy all year. That’s a start right?

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolution for 2009 was to ‘remember to see the big picture and keep working towards goals that might not be clearly in view just yet’. I think I did do that. It has been damn hard, feeling almost impossible at times, but I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. For 2010 my resolution could be to have the strength push towards taking the final steps into a more emancipated way of living, and once you get there, remember to enjoy what you’ve achieved, but never stop working towards being better/happier/closer to where you want to be.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Well, he probably didn’t give birth per say, but Ride became a father in December.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. For which I’m grateful for. I don’t think I could have handled that sort of things this year.

5. What countries did you visit?
France, Switzerland and Finland.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A HOLIDAY. One that lasted more than 2 days.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
I don’t know the exact date, the whole year is pretty blurry on dates. But there was one specific moment when it really hit me that hey, I’m a professional photographer – people pay me to take their picture. I know it sounds simple, but it’s a pretty profound shift inside.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Taking my business to the level it is at now in such a short space of time. There’s nothing big headed about that statement, I have worked fricking hard for it and I am proud of myself for it.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Sometimes losing sight of the goals and sinking into a funk. Not having time for anyone, least of all my loved ones or myself.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Funnily enough, I’ve been pretty ok this year. I’ve only gotten ill on the few days that I’ve had off. I guess the body sort of ‘gets with the program’ when it realises there are no other options but to push through and live on pure adrenalin. Probably can’t go on forever though.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My tilt shift lens, hands down. Plus quite a lot of other photography-related things.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Susanna has proven to be an absolute star this year. Both on professional and personal front.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
There are some people that have disappointed me… by getting annoyed that I haven’t been in touch (through lack of time), or by dropping all communication whatsoever. Phone lines for example work in both directions.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Camera gear.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Booking a shedload of exciting weddings.

16. What songs will always remind you of 2009?
Kings of Leon - Closer.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Both.
ii. thinner or fatter? Fatter.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping, socialising, relaxing, loving life, exercising.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve at home with Stu. Christmas Day and Boxing Day with Stu’s family.

21. How did you spend New Years?
Sitting in a sauna in very snowy Finland.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
In some ways.

23. How many one night stands?
0.

24. What were your favourite TV programmes?
True Blood, err… nothing else comes to mind.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Hate is a strong word, but certainly dislike.

26. What was the best book you read?
Hmm, maybe Audrey Niffenegger – The Time Traveler’s Wife.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Crikey… haven’t had much time for that. Damien Jurado, Citizen Cope, Tiny Vipers… oh and Kings of Leon, as I’m always late to the party. :P

28. What did you want and get?
To make a success of my business.

29. What did you want and not get?
To find and buy a flat.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
Burn After Reading (although this was probably released in 2008).

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Shot Eleni & David’s wedding. I turned 33. Jaysus.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not having two full time jobs…

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
A complete meltdown.

34. What kept you sane?
Self belief.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Colin. (And also Robert Pattinson… just a little bit. Sorry Colin)

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Stirred? None.

37. Who did you miss?
Everyone.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
So many lovely clients, some of whom have become friends.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
You can do things you never thought capable of when you put your mind to it.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Not now but soon,
The most beautiful light
Will wake us to pillow fighting excitement

Not now but soon,
Bright into
Every corner,
Satellites manoeuvre in beams of change,

Standing by the best days of our lives,
Magnificent, the best days of our lives,
Big bang boom, the best days of our lives
They’re coming right up
If we can just get through this one.

Who said it was over?
It’s as good as it gets
Well we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves yet

If we swallow “it’s all over” and open wide on these make-to-believe
Sullen, chewed up, sodden soliloquies,
Oh, we’re sweet nothings anymore

Terrifying best, days of our lives
We’re hanging on the best days of our lives
No two ways about it, best days of our lives
They’re coming right up, if we can just get through this one.

I’ll hang on grab onto your feet
Someone else holds tied to my shoelaces
When their trouser leg tears, runs and stops at the seam to keep us
dangled together
Until help finds us here

I’ll hang on grab onto your feet
Someone else holds tied to my shoelaces
When their trouser leg tears, runs and stops at the seam to keep us
dangled together
Until help finds us here

Best days of our lives
Better be the best days of our lives
Bring on the best days of our lives
Coming right up, woah
Coming right up
If we can just get through this one.
Imogen Heap – Not Now But Soon

But looksie here, on Sunday I actually did something that wasn’t work-related, so I now can offer you this very rare ‘normal life’ themed blog entry. You lucky, lucky people. What happened was that last Christmas all the Taylor siblings, and their better halves, got gifted with these ‘experience vouchers’ for a chocolate workshop. It took us 10 months to get organised enough to actually book and attend this strange sounding occasion (which is odd since you’d think the idea of chocolate was a tad more motivating wouldn’t you) – and yesterday was finally the big day.

When we met with Nikki, Ian, Chris and Amy outside the course centre, there were a load of other people there waiting for the workshop to start, which got us all a bit nervous – I certainly got that first day of school sort of feeling. Stu gave his best shot trying to persuade everyone that going straight down the pub would be a much more sensible thing to do, but our curiosity won over in the end. We followed the others (who, incidentally, asked us whether we were the ‘chocolate lovers’… umm) in and down to the cellar. Once there, the first thing we had to do was to get kitted out with lovely plastic aprons. At this point it was all looking suspiciously like a mortuary experience, rather than anything chocolate-related.

Luckily the latter part of the day was a bit more fun as we got our hands dirty – quite literally and exuberantly. I was pretty proud of my efforts until I made the mistake of looking over to the other tables and seeing their professional level (non-messy) creations. I somehow get the feeling that we were the only group who had been gifted this experience, while the other folk in attendance had actually paid for it themselves and took it all quite seriously. Oh well.

Messy as it was, the actual making the choccies bit was pretty good fun, and we got to go away with a bag full of goodies made by our very own hands (boy did I feel ill in the evening).

After the workshop Stu finally got his wish as we went for a nice meal (albeit in a strange place [yes yes, chosen by me]) and to the pub, before heading home. Scary school flashbacks aside, it was really nice hanging out with the Taylor gang after a very long while. I do miss living closer to them and seeing them more often. We’re off to Rayleigh next Sunday for the first time in a long time, and hopefully I’ll get to see at least some of the new houses everyone else seems to have been buying lately. :D

I am pretty amazed and happy about what I have managed to accomplish in just a year, and how quickly I seem to have established my business. I have a healthy amount of weddings booked for next year, and currently get more inquiries than I am able to accommodate. People keep telling me how ‘lucky’ I’ve been, getting my business established and actually making some sort of profit so quickly (I did make a pretty big loss in the first financial year, mind). I do believe you make your own luck though, by trusting your gut feeling and your abilities, being honest about who you are, and by working bloody hard. Luck alone gets nothing done unless you put the hours in.

At the moment I find myself in a bit of a slump. I think it’s because I’ve just realised that the summer just whizzed by without me even noticing. We’ve also started looking around for somewhere to buy, which is demoralising to say the least. Prices are astronomical, and no amount of working or saving seems to get us anywhere closer to a deposit for anything decent. I’ve just moved from searching for two bedroom sh*tholes onto searching for one bedroom sh*tholes. Cheery. I miss our flat in Finland.

I guess there’s nothing else to do than to keep your head down and plough on, and hold on to the faith that it will all be worth it in the end.

And since it’s become a bit of a routine, here are a few images from last month.

Magali & Jeff got married.

Had a blast shooting Sophie & Henry‘s engagement photos.

I made a bit of a departure by doing a jewellery shoot for Melanie Eddy.

Trinh & Alastair got married.

Had an engagement session with Heather & Mark.

Took baby portraits of Jodie…

…and Alice.

Right, what has happened in the last month then. Well, S and I celebrated 10 years together (I say celebrated, we got chinese take away :P), which is another perplexing time vacuum conundrum in itself. I think the rest of the month will be explained via the images below. Very sorry to re-hash content from the other blog, but have no time to take other photos at the moment. Hopefully I will get to do some personal projects again in the winter months.

Eleni & David got married on my birthday. (Oh and someone asked me what I do with my t/s lens, so here’s one example.)

Baby Lucinda was born.

The first couple to ever officially book me (back what seems like a lifetime ago), Sarah & Dan, finally got married.

I did an engagement shoot with Ana & Alan for charity.

Carolyn & Marc had a kick-ass wedding at Leadenhall Market.

And finally, I got to return to The Garden Museum for Claire & Ben’s wedding.

Oh completely forgot to add Georgina & Mark‘s engagement session on the last day of August! :D

So that’s August pretty much wrapped up. It’s been hectic to say the least, but has also included some real high points of the summer. Tonight Sooz is dragging me to Westfield for a ‘mini makeover’ of some sort. Let’s see just how small they manage to make me (it was a bad joke the first time round and hasn’t really improved, sorry).

On the actual day I got lots of pressies from Susanna, one of them being her offering to assist me for free at the wedding, which was very kind of her indeed. I also unwrapped one present from her only to find a book I’d lent to her earlier, which was a bit peculiar, but thoughtful, as everyone hates a non-returning borrower. :D On closer inspection I saw that she had actually gotten my book signed by the author, none other than Mr Ethan Hawke himself! How awesome is that! (You must excuse me for I can’t seem to stop using the word ‘awesome’).

Three presents in one: Sooz posing with my Ethan Hawke autograph, taken with my new E75. :D

The biggest surprise awaited me when I got home from the wedding though, and went to transfer my images from the cards to the computer. I thought something looked ‘off’ with my desk, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. Only after turning the computer on did I eventually realised that there was a brand new 24″ wide screen monitor sitting on my desk! I was pretty gobsmacked I can tell you that much. :D It takes a brave person to try to surprise me, and S had definitely gone all out on this one. I must say that I love love love the extra screen space. I’ll just have to get the calibration right as I’ve now noticed that yesterday’s edits look awfully dark on the monitor here at work. Have now ordered a Spyder from eBay, and hopefully once it arrives I can truly enjoy the benefits of the new beast. Can I please say awesome again.

Thank you for all my amazing presents (oh including shopping vouchers from Marjut – woo!), and all the birthday wishes I got via text and Facebook. <3

But for now, I just have to make sure it doesn’t kill me first. While I still have my full time day job as well, there just is no extra time for anything. Every waking hour is pretty much about work in some form, even if the photography side of things doesn’t really feel like work (but trust me, all the nitty gritty of running a business sure does). For now I’m just trying to keep my head down and plough on. If I get through this year in one piece, it will all be worth it in the end I hope. I have some amazing clients (now this does have something to do with genuine luck as well) and weddings in beautiful locations coming up next year. I really can’t wait. That goes for each and every one of them.

In other news, Miikka finally got married last Saturday, and even if it meant travelling all the way up to Juuka, of course we were there. We treated the (8 hours each way) drive as a road trip, as that was pretty much all the ‘holiday’ we’ll get this year. The weather was perfect and Finland was definitely showing its best. The only minus side of being on the road for most of the 4 days we spent in Finland was not having any time to meet up with other friends and family. You can look out for pictures of the wedding over at the wedding photography blog, but for now, here is a quick collection of snaps from along the way of our road trip.