expectations and self-imposed pressure

The other day I read this amazing post about the pressure of being a small business owner. As I've been building my business I've felt a ton of pressure grow fast and be successful, but I've found that 100% of that pressure is coming from me. I have extremely high expectations for myself and where I want to be, and unfortunately have very little patience for sub-par work. I find myself feeling like I'm "failing" when the inquiries slow down and get frustrated when I can't dedicated all of my time to building to growing. The crazy thing about starting a business, at least for me, is that it's so hard to balance my work and personal lives. I find myself staying up until 1 in the morning finishing edits and emails just to crawl into bed to realize I never asked how Jack's day was. It's been months since I've had a day when I wasn't making mental lists every waking hour of the day, or since I've really felt like I could relax with my friends and family. It's an awful habit that I definitely need to work on, but I think it all comes back to the self-inflicting pressure of succeeding. So, for the next few months as I try to grow my business, plan a wedding, work a part time job, and make sure I give my fiance plenty of goodnight smooches, I need to remember that the world can still be conquered tomorrow.

Start living your dreams

Growing up, I never really knew what I wanted to be. Sure, I had dream careers - a teacher, an astronaut, and my favorite, a photographer for National Geographic- but when I entered college and had to think seriously about what I wanted to be, I was lost. I majored in international development studies, which allowed me to learn about world through a mix of different classes which I loved, but when I graduated I again felt lost because I didn't know what I wanted to do with that education. I went into nonprofit work, found out that it was not for me, and then jumped around for a bit trying to find myself. That's when I returned back to my originally dream of being a photographer. As I've mentioned approximately one million times on this blog, for the past year and a half I've been developing my professional photography portfolio. I've been offered unbelievable opportunities that have helped shape my view of what I want to do and who I am, and I've continually loved learning about and expanding my skills with photography. All of this to say that I am beyond thrilled to announce that I am now working full time on my photography business. It came to a point that I was overworking myself trying to build my business, plan my wedding, and work during the day, so I had to make the choice to cut something out. Since I was having to turn down photography opportunities because of my day job, it wasn't that hard to decide what to do, so I decided to take the plunge and dedicate myself toward pursuing my dreams. I always knew I wanted to be a photographer, but never thought it would actually happen. There are so many photographers out there and so many things to photograph that it's an incredibly intimidating profession. I thought that maybe when I had a family and more time I'd be able to explore photography deeper and maybe shoot family portraits or something. Never, and I mean never, did I think that I'd have a summer wedding season booked with seven weddings and constant inquiries about family shoots, portraits, interiors, and lifestyle work. It just shows how amazing it is to have a supportive and encouraging network of individuals who want to see you succeed. And I am eternally grateful for all my friends and family that have spread the word about my passion. 

Anna Marks Photography on Gilt City

I’m so excited to announce that Anna Marks Photography is being featured on Gilt City San Francisco! For one week (ending February 13th, 2014) you can get up to 50% family, engagement, and portrait photo shoots as well as a highly discounted wedding package! Since launching this morning at 11am yesterday, I've seen my web presence grow tenfold and have received numerous inquiries from interested clients. I can’t thank my amazing friends enough for spreading the word on Facebook and for the great staff at Gilt for this opportunity. Check out the link below for more information and feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

http://www.giltcity.com/san-francisco/annamarksphotosffeb 

A few frames of love

A few weekends back I had the honor of photographing a beautiful wedding in Marin. For the portrait session we went up to one of my favorite lakes in Marin and roamed the golden fields surrounding it. Here are a few of my favorite frames from the day and some of my favorite photos I've ever taken. Just look at that gorgeous light and how beautiful this stunning bride is! Visit the photography blog (www.annamarksphotography.com/blog) for more of the sneak peek.

Jose Villa Workshop- Wedding Styled Shoot

Day two of the Jose Villa Workshop was filled with more learning, laughing, and an unbelievable styled shoot that we had the honor of photographing in the gorgeous afternoon Napa light. We were able to watch how Jose photographs each element of a wedding- the invitations, flowers, table, jewelry, and most importantly, the bride and groom- before taking a stab at it ourselves. It was invaluable to see first hand how he views a situation and creates a stunning piece of art from it. And to top it off, we had our farewell dinner at this very table under the stars in the gorgeous Aetna Springs vineyards. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience this gorgeous event and am so grateful for the talented and hardworking team that put it all together: Jose Villa, Joel Serrato, Lacie Hansen, Laurie Arons, Team Hair And Makeup, Grey Likes Weddings, Ariella Chezar Design, Janis Anzalone,  b. Hughes, and Scout Model Agency to name a few.

Venue: Aetna Springs

Film Photographer: Jose Villa

Art, Coordination, & Direction: Laurie Arons

Film Maker: Joel Serrato

Film Photographer: Lacie Hansen

Hair & Makeup: Team Hair And Makeup

Wardrobe Styling: Grey Likes Weddings

Florals: Ariella Chezar Design

Calligraphy: Janis Anzalone 

Paper: PS Paper

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Place Settings: Casa de Perrin

Linens: La Tavola Linen

Cake: Maggie Austin

Lighting: Illusions Lighting

Film Photographers: Briana Marie + Brian

Album Design: Cypress Albums

Fine Art Paper: Hahnemuhle

Ribbon: Frou Frou Chic

Stationery: Julie Song

Bridal Formals: b. Hughes

Wedding Gowns: Vera Wang and Inbal Dror

Models: Scout Model Agency

Transitioning

The website got a face lift last week, which means that it also go a fancy new professional blog! I've missed blogging for me, instead of just blogging for business, so I've transitioned to two blogs (one for fun- this one- and one for business.) This might be a lot of extra work, but I'm excited to take on the challenge and have this space be more for every life. So, check out the new website and while you're at it, check out the blog!

Jose Villa Workshop: Engagement Session

It’s been a month since I attended the Jose Villa Workshop at Aetna Springs in Napa Valley and I’m still in shock that I experienced this amazing opportunity. Not only did I learn invaluable tips and tricks that have already helped my business grow, but I was constantly inspired by the 20 other incredible photographers and in awe of the amazing team that put the workshop together. At the end of the first day we photographed two stunning couples in a styled engagement shoot where we had the opportunity to see how Jose poses couples and to photograph them ourselves. Thank you to the amazing team that put together this gorgeous shoot for us: Jose Villa, Joel Serrato, Lacie Hansen, Laurie Arons, Team Hair And Makeup, Grey Likes Weddings, Aetna Springs, and Scout Model Agency. 

Married: Victoria & Krystal

Believe it or not, I met Victoria and Krystal through craigslist last May. They posted and ad about needing a wedding photographer and I jumped at the opportunity; we met at a coffee shop in Glen Park and the second Victoria started telling me about her gorgeous green wedding shoes, I knew this couple was amazing. They share an infections love for one another and genuinely amazing people. I feel so lucky to have been able to photograph their special day!

Thank you Victoria and Krystal for letting me be a part of your beautiful celebration!