Over the past two Covid-all consuming years, I think most people can name a silver lining that highlights a positive in a world that appears full of negatives. For my family, skiing in the winter has continued to be one of those things. During a typical 2021 January day, me and my boys were on a chairlift watching the terrain park madness below. Music was blaring over this part of the mountain, and one song in particular caught our attention. Ozzy Osbourne and Elton John can do that, two totally different voices that somehow make perfect sense. The boys begged me to download the song before our ride home and it now lives on a playlist dedicated to our car trips together. One verse in the song repeats “Just remember that it’s all for you…I did it all for you.” Coming to grips with the fact that my oldest is ten and my youngest almost nine is equal parts unbelievable and so completely awesome at the same time. How can this be?? We have grown together, learning together day after day, year after a full decade. And we have come to this sweet little spot where the two faces in front of me are those of capable, likable, full of thoughts and ideas, up for anything, so lucky to have them boys. Days like this…perfect winter days together…are a main reason why Sweet Lady Jane got off the ground in the first place. To be able to share experiences like this, and for them to know, that no matter what, even during the busiest year imaginable-I did it all for them.
You are probably looking for a segue at this point and I promise there is one! 2022 will mark eight years in business for Sweet Lady Jane Photography. My other baby is also growing up and taking shape in a way I never thought possible. 2021 was a doozy. My calendar swelled each week with celebrations. From new babies to new fitness studios, from saying yes to finally saying YES! forever. As I take a look back at all the images taken from an incredible year, one thing is pretty clear. A silver lining to end all silver linings. After a year of waiting, pushing off plans, and reschedules galore…weddings were back and better than ever. Somewhere in the middle of 2021, I started noticing a trend. Couples were more relaxed than ever. No stress, no worry, just joy and excitement plain and simple. I cannot name one moment during this year when a couple or a family complained during a wedding day. People lingered a little longer with cousins and grandparents, and were more willing to risk blistered feet while screaming SHOUT with a band alive behind them. My relationships with my “class of 2021” are all deep and memorable. We weathered the storm together and came out on the other end ready to rock. The pride I feel for this set of particular images is off the charts. Not so much for the art itself, but for the feeling behind each and every frame. Almost nine years in and this year was perhaps that one that taught me the most.
To all my 2021 couples, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be there on your day. I feel like we grew up together in a way, sharing the ups and downs of pandemic planning. Your dedication to this little business of mine means more than you will ever know.
