2025 Photoshoot Wrap-Up

With 2025 coming to an end, I wanted to take the time to reflect on earlier this year and late 2024.

At the very end of 2024 I reached out to a couple of friends to start booking shoots, something I have been wanting to do forever. And then, in January 2025 I booked my first paid photoshoot.

Throughout this past year, I’ve been taking a break with photos and I have been focusing my time on different things. A part of me was tapping out because the vision was becoming real, and another part of me was unsure if I still had the passion for photography that I used to.

I remember feeling that I wasn’t where I want to be yet, and having a hard time knowing where to draw the lines between business (stick to your prices is all I ever heard) and wanting to give my friends memorable photos and be creative without worrying about anything technical.

I wasn’t sure if being a photographer was a fever dream I was ready to leave behind, or something that I am still just as passionate about as I was when I got my first camera.

As someone who has a lot of creative passions, it can be hard to channel them all in the right place and create time for everything that I love.

Especially in this economy, the big question, what do you want to do with your life, rings clear in my head and twists something fun and beautiful into something serious, and frightening.

I think that deep down, we all know what we want and if we shoot for the stars and focus on the actual experiences, we find that we are already there because we are living authentically and enjoying the journey as it already is.

Regardless, it is so easy to psych ourselves out, and convince ourselves there is one right way to do things, and that if we aren’t careful, then we have already started to fail. It isn’t all so black and white, and you always have the control to switch things up.

Actually starting something and sticking with it will bring you so many different opportunities and pathways in your future, and it will all branch out the way it needs to and you will continue to grow and experience what you love.

For me, one of the things I’m doing to experience more and live better in 2026 is taking my camera out of my closet, dusting it off and getting back into taking photos. The plan right now is to start booking around December, and I can’t wait for the wintery magic. Snow up north is so lovely and everyone comes together for the holidays, it’s really a beautiful time.

As of the time I’m writing this, it is mid-November, my birthday month, and I’m so happy for the reset. The past few weeks have been really trying for me, but then again, life is a roller coaster. I can’t wait to see how everything continues to grow next year. ♡︎

Here are the two photoshoots I did a while back.

Shoot 2025. Kassidy & Wyatt.

I had the honor of doing a shoot early 2025 with lovely Kassidy & Wyatt.

They were both amazing to work with, and we got to shoot at a quiet park - though it didn’t stay too quiet for too long.

Just when we were nearing the end of the shoot, some guys showed up and wanted to use the hill for their sporting event, and both Kassidy and Wyatt were very considerate about the situation and we found another spot to take some last photos before wrapping it up.

I hope that my nervousness as a new photographer didn’t show through, because I have to give it to Kass - she had such a positive vibe and I love how free spirited she is!

Shoot 2024. Brittany & Cody.

I used to work with Brittany at a nice restaurant a few years back, and she has the most amazing cheerful energy!

Her and Cody are the sweetest pair, they’re so in tune with each other and have a great sense of humor. It is so wholesome to be a part of, and I had the best time doing their photos.

It was super cold during the entire shoot, we kept putting our coats on and then taking them back off for the photos. But Brittany and Cody are truly champions! Not one brrrr just a lot of excitement for the photos!

I also bought a chocolate cake for the shoot and I topped it with about a dozen strawberries (felt very proud!)

We wanted to do a little picnic theme with the cake, but hadn’t realized that all the picnic beaches had been put away for the cold season.

We had to improvise, and they ended up sitting on a stage in the middle of the park while digging into the cake.

I miss being behind the camera, and have mostly taken it out in the recent months to take photos of my dog or the flowers outside.

It was such a privilege to be able to shoot with both of these incredible couples, and I hope that 2026 is a year of growth and creativity for me behind the camera.

You can find more on my Instagram @artbyzanie