2 years have passed. Already. Feels like yesterday and yet super far away.

I am sitting here today writing these words and smiling from ear to ear. Today is a day where I truly see how much I achieved in the last years.

What started with a dream somehow turned into reality and now I am living a life I always dreamed of with a job that genuinely fulfills me every day and I truly just can’t get enough of it. I am thriving so much and it finally feels like I am right where I belong.

Today was a really special day. I am actually writing this post a few days before my anniversary but it couldn’t be more fitting to write this now.

I was sitting in a co working space and all of a sudden this girl turned around, looked at me and said “I know you. You are taking pictures right?” So we ended up talking for a second and it turns out that she had the dream herself of becoming a photographer and that she saved a few of my posts on Instagram for shoots she had planned out.

We sat down to continue our conversation and she asked me a few questions on how I started and what she was struggling with at the moment. It was a really crazy moment for me cause I saw myself in her 2 years ago. Knowing that I wanted to make this work but being lost on where to start, whether or not to have 2 Instagrams or turn the personal one into the business one, what equipment to buy and how to overcome the imposter syndrome when you keep seeing all those amazing photographers on Instagram.

Every part of our conversation gave me flashbacks and I remember asking photographers that were further than me back then the exact same questions. And now someone was asking me for exactly that advice. And that’s when it truly hit me. I truly achieved a lot in the last two years even though I never really saw it in the moment but I pushed through till now and kept believing that I could make it and as I am writing this blog post there is a song running in the background called having faith haha could it even be more fitting?

Here are some of the lyrics

To get back on topic here are some of the questions I kept asking myself and what I struggled with in the last two years

• finding my style and niche

• pricing (big big struggle haha)

• how to reach out to clients

• how not to compare myself

• how to get structure into my business

• accepting that it’s okay to ask for help and not do everything completely by myself outsourcing would have saved me so much time and energy

• how to actually make a living out of this

Honestly I could go on for a really long time.

If I could give my younger self some advice when I started this, I would say that I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, and that I should enjoy the process and the imperfections. Nothing has to be perfect, especially not at the beginning. It’s about starting and putting yourself out there.

Tell as many people as you can what you do. Everyone could be your perfect client. Invest in education and never stop learning, especially from other photographers who are further ahead. Just reach out. A lot of people are usually really happy to help, especially because they know how it feels to start something like this.

And then the last one, but also the most crucial one that I never wanted to accept when I started: it takes time. And it will get better and clearer with time. You’ll slowly figure out what you want to focus on, what your style is, which tasks you love doing, and which ones you’d rather outsource. It’s all a process.

When I started there was no structure and no clear goals. Today 2 years later, I have a concept, goals, I know where I want to be and where I want to get to and it’s getting clearer with every day. Not saying that I have everything figured out. I am still struggling sometimes but I learned to accept that it’s part of the process and that I should just enjoy the ride with all its ups and downs cause there is always a lesson learned behind everything. And the bumpy ride brought me here. A life at the ocean, working with amazing people, financially stable, doing the things I love the most. What more could I ask for?

Thank you to everyone who always supported me, thanks to all my amazing clients who trusted me with their vision, thanks to all the talented and creative photographers and videographers out there who taught me and pushed me through when I was struggling, thanks to my amazing family who always has my back no matter what and support my dreams and my crazy travel schedule. And of course my dearest friends spread out all over the world. I wouldn't be where I am right now without all of you.

I am extremely grateful and proud to see my business grow. It’s really an unbelievable feeling!

Cheers to many more years of growth to come!