2025 Photography Project Retro: Start, Stop, Keep
2025 Photography Project Retro: Stop, Start, Keep
If you’ve ever worked in a corporate setting, you’re probably familiar with a project retrospective. When a project wraps up, you pause and ask three simple questions:
What should we stop doing? What should we start doing? What should we keep doing?
Now that we’ve officially closed the books on 2025, it feels fitting to do a project retro on my year as a Northern Colorado portrait photographer—both creatively and professionally.
Stop Doing: Comparing Myself to Other Photographers
Like most photographers, I struggle with comparison. I can feel really good about a session, excited about a new idea, or proud of the direction my work is going. Then I see someone else’s photography and suddenly start questioning myself.
I compare my work to theirs.
My style to theirs.
My business growth to theirs.
I wonder if I should have chosen a different niche—weddings, newborns, something else entirely. If someone is doing well in an area I’d like to explore, I’m genuinely happy for them, but I also find myself wondering what they know that I don’t, or why they seem further along.
The truth is, this doesn’t serve me. It takes the joy out of creating and makes me question work I actually love. In 2026, this is something I’m actively choosing to stop—because comparison doesn’t make me a better photographer or a better business owner.
Keep Doing: Creative, Fun, Free Shoots
If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that creative shoots feed my soul.
The sessions I do just for fun—the low-pressure, purely creative ones—give me energy and remind me why I picked up a camera in the first place. These shoots often turn into some of my favorite work because they’re honest, playful, and driven by curiosity instead of expectations.
I plan to keep creating with people I’ve photographed before, collaborating with new faces, and saying yes to ideas that don’t necessarily fit into a box. And yes, I might approach you—a complete stranger—in public and ask if you’d like to do a photoshoot with me.
Start Doing: Building the Business Side of Photography
While I’m committed to stopping comparison, I’m also being honest about what I want next.
In 2026, I want to start building the business side of my photography in a slow, sustainable way. That means being more intentional about systems, workflows, and long-term growth—without losing sight of the creative work that matters most to me.
I’m not trying to replicate anyone else’s path. I’m building something that fits my life, my values, and the kind of portrait photography I want to keep creating here in Northern Colorado.
