i spent last week bumming around northern california with my friend and fellow photographer aubrey leeker, one half of the brill nebraskan photo team THE LEEKERS (did you see that aubrey? i broke my lower case style to infuse your capital style. that’s love.) the thing about travelling with other photographers is that they get it. they get it when you slam on the brakes, whip around on a two-lane highway when you see the sun nestling on the skyline behind a cluster of sailboats. they track your seemingly untrackable thoughts on fear and dreams and obstacles and joy and frustration.

as we drove around big sur, monterey, carmel by the sea and santa cruz, aubrey and i spoke at length about growth. the three-day conversation always began with one of us asking the other, “so when we’re at the next level, what will that look like?” our talks always found a way of boiling down to people. for both of us, how we treat our clients, other photographers and anyone and everyone we meet on this journey is by leaps and bounds more important than our pricing structures, packaging, seo, etc. people – their stories, struggles and happiness – matter, and are frankly the only reason i do what i do. i heart photography not because of the cool, expensive gear i get to tote around (in fact, nothing makes my eyes glaze over faster than a conversation about cameras and lenses), but because it is a tool to document people’s relationships with each other and with themselves. pinpointing that is a big win in determining why i do this.

but in the middle of one of these conversations, i believe sitting on the beach in carmel, aubrey stopped me and said, ‘i think it’s great you’re so focused on creating a great experience for your clients. but remember you need to think about the carly experience, too.’ oh yeah, little old me. i forget that i matter too and the joy of being a creative business owner is that i get to make the rules. i decide how i spend my time. and there are a few things in place currently that eat up my time and don’t make me happy that need to go. i flew home motivated and ready to change a good number of things around here. can’t wait to share those changes with you all. a huge thank you to aubrey for helping me realize it’s time!

here’s a few photos from my trip! few of them include people, which is a giant jump outside my comfort zone! this first photo, however, is rare documentation of me…windblown no less!

this photo taken with a plate of local-organic-heirloom tomato caprese in front me. yeah, imagining that makes the photo better, doesn’t it?

one sunset, two ways

how to be a jerk sea lion: 1) pose adorably for tourist 2) yell at tourist 3) boast about yelling at tourist 4) fall over on dock like a drunken sailor

people at aquariums are more interesting than fish at aquariums

{mat kearney: ships in the night}

carly mitchell photography | colorado wedding photography