2014 Recap | Meredith Clark Photography

Somehow, I went practically all of 2014 without updating this little old photography blog. In the past, I've truly approached photography as a hobby--something to be pursued *if* my husband was off work, *if* we were caught up on housework, *if* we'd had some weekends for family time, *if* we had nothing else going on, and *if* this closet introvert felt up to being sociable (because the honest truth is that sometimes, I'd much prefer snuggling under the covers with a good book than talking to another living human being).

But this year, I pushed myself a bit more. I carved out more dates on my calendar that I'd accept bookings. I got my ducks in order, and dipped my toes into the water of approaching things as a business, rather than an *if*. Though I'm still operating on a VERY part-time basis, I actually had my busiest year yet with Meredith Clark Photography! That said, in an attempt to make sure that every client received their images by the quoted deadline, I had to let this blog slide a little. And that was okay with me, because my focus in photography has always been on providing families with images that capture the precious moments between them, and delivering that promise on time. The focus isn't on me, or on advertising, or on growing this blog. I'm perfectly okay with that--and I hope that you are too. I do tend to be much better about updating the Meredith Clark Photography Facebook Page in a timely manner, so if you'd like to keep up to date in real-time, that's your best bet!

Over the next couple of weeks, I plan to go back and backdate some posts to get caught up on this 2014 season. In the meantime, here's a recap of what I was up to this year!

And if you or your family appears above, THANK YOU. Truly. Thank you for choosing me to capture these memories for your family. It is a job that I don't take lightly, and am honored to have!

Dillon's Senior Pictures | Eagle Point, Oregon Senior Portrait Photographer

Our family has known Dillon's family for years (he and his mom even play on the same co-ed softball team that my husband and I do), and I seriously cannot believe that he's already a senior at Cascade Christian this year! The other day, I had the privilege of shooting his senior pictures out at his grandparents' house on the Rogue River. I've gotta say, Dillon did some modeling when he was younger, and he must have retained some of that knowledge, 'cause he certainly made things easy for me!

Mackenzie's Senior Portraits | Ashland, Oregon Portrait Photographer

Mackenzie is a senior at Ashland High School this year, and contacted me about shooting her senior pictures. We arranged to meet at Lithia Park, and were a little surprised to discover that there was a HUGE cross-country race scheduled there that day! Still, we made it work!



Seriously, I loved shooting Mackenzie. She was hilarious, witty, and so genuinely nice. She was an absolute natural in front of the camera!

Olivia's Senior Pictures | Ashland, Oregon Portrait Photographer

My brother was a senior at Ashland High School this year, so I ended up doing senior portraits for a few of his friends and other members of his class. One of the super sweet girls that I did photos for this past year was Olivia:



Olivia was pretty much up for anything, and we had a great time going to both the railroad district and Lithia Park for her photos!



Just a few weeks after I did Olivia's portraits, she flew to New York to be a part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade along with other cheerleading captains across the US. It was so cool to scour the screen looking for her!

Alli's Senior Portraits | Ashland, Oregon Portrait Photographer

It was such a dreary morning the day of Alli's senior portrait session. I was worried that it wouldn't happen at all. However, the rain clouds dissipated as the morning went on, and gave us an overcast day that was perfect for portraits against the deep reds and yellows of fall.



During our session, Alli shared with me that in middle-school, while she and one of her friends were doing a mini photo session with each other, her friend told her that she had a terrible smile. I think it's absolutely safe to say that the friend was out of her mind!

Victoria's Senior Portraits | Ashland, Oregon Portrait Photographer

Victoria contacted me about her senior portraits, and immediately told me that she wanted to do something "different". She suggested doing her portraits in the reservoir above Lithia Park. I don't know if y'all are familiar with the reservoir, but it's made up of snow melt, and is absolutely freezing, even in the summer. Despite doing the shoot on a chilly day in October, Victoria was such a trooper! And don't you love her vintage swim suit? Where can I get one?!

Holly & Tyler's Senior Portraits | Eagle Point, OR Photographer

Holly contacted me about senior portraits. She explained that she and her boyfriend were hoping to split a senior portrait session. We met on the hottest day of October near Butte Creek Mill to shoot a few senior portraits and a few couple's portraits as well!

Kevin's Senior Portraits | Ashland, Oregon Portrait Photographer

My "little" brother Kevin is a senior in high school this year! We started talking about his senior portrait session early in the summer, and he immediately commented that he wanted to do his session up at Mt. Ashland at sunrise. I agreed, even though it meant a very early morning, of getting up at about 3am with a 5 month old! So glad I did!