I’m a little late getting out of my December blog post. No real excuse, except I simply did not want to work during the holiday break, and I’ve hit the ground running already in 2025.

There are worse scenarios.

This year, I took extra time off during the holidays to rest, relax, and spend LOTS of time with my family. The break was glorious. My #1 goal was to do as little work—the stuff that makes me money—as possible. And, y’all, I KILLED that goal. I didn’t even pick up my camera for two full weeks.

It’s been a while since I simply turned my business brain off and settled into doing things just because. Since I’m not very good at not working, the first chunk of the break was filled with house organizing and projects. But after Christmas, I unlocked lazy mode, and the only real work I was doing was restarting my island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and making it absolutely epic. I’ve nearly unlocked terraforming!

I also made Pho from scratch. The house has never smelled so glorious.

This week was my first full week back at work, and today is my first day with even a smidgen of time to reflect on December 2024.

December was a nice cap to a nice year. As I closed out my work in mid-month, I had this amazing sense of complete security in my business. I can’t recall ever having that feeling so wholeheartedly. And, you guys, it feels nice.

I credit my business with helping me become a better human. As a business owner, I’ve been continuously faced with moments that have challenged my inner assumptions, and—go figure—over time, I’ve learned from these experiences. I thought I’d share a few of those lessons from 2024.

When the mission doesn’t align with my values, I’ll never feel like I’ve nailed it.

This is a lesson I’ve been learning in both my personal life and my business for over a decade. But this year, I felt like it really soaked in. Sure, there were moments when I didn’t feel like I measured up and many times, I felt like I failed. But for the first time ever, I gave myself space to really think about why I felt that way, and I realized it usually had to do with the fact that what I was doing didn’t align with my values.

As a photographer, it’s become clearer than ever what I enjoy doing and what I’m good at. I’ve gotten much better at saying NO to things that don’t align with my values without feeling guilty. If I’m not into it, I’m not going to do a great job—and the client deserves someone who truly loves what they’re doing.

Investing in workflows has paid off

Over the past few years, and especially in 2024, I’ve been developing my workflows for both BTP and Studio Borealis. There’s a lot of back-end work that goes into this process (especailly involving my CRM), but once it’s up and running, it makes my job SO MUCH easier. There’s always room for improvement, but I feel like my workflows are in a great spot now.

Community is important

I’m naturally an introvert, so it’s easy for me to stay home and not go out. Especially post-pandemic and while raising kids, I haven’t prioritized social interactions or friendships. But several times this year, I’ve come to appreciate the people in my life wholeheartedly. From my amazing photography brand babes (shout out Abby & Morgan!) to my Social Club (we’re like a book club, but we read different books and gossip anyway), and simply hanging out with some of my favorite people, I've come to deeply appreciate spending time with intelligent, thoughtful people who provide authentic connection, support, laughter, and insight.

Beyond my small group of friends, I’ve also found value in being out in the community. Whether it’s going to a movie, checking out the farmers market, or attending a local event, I’ve discovered just how much I LOVE being around others and getting out into the world.

Rest is necessary

This is a lesson I learned late in 2024.

Actually, I just learned this during the holiday break.

It had been SO LONG since I actually shut off my brain from my business, but I made a commitment to myself that I would do as little as possible for work (basically just answer important emails and track Studio Borealis rentals) in an attempt to actually reset. And while I had a STRONG urge to work on 2025 stuff towards the end of the break, I forced myself to disconnect.

In return, I feel so much more refreshed as I enter the new year, with bonus clarity and energy. This is such a gift. Now, I’m trying to figure out how to make this mandatory rest a quarterly ritual.

There’s a real sense of satisfaction in following through, even when it feels hard at first.

It’s a lesson I always try to teach my kids, even if I don’t always apply it myself. This idea feels true across many parts of my life, but right now, I’m especially thinking about this project.

It’s been a full year of posting monthly recaps on this humble little blog. I made the commitment. I pushed through at times when it felt challenging. But I did it! I posted every month!

Sure, some posts were way too sappy, and I often just wrote whatever was on my mind that day. But the simple act of putting it out into the world has been so rewarding.

I’m not entirely sure what this will look like in 2025, but I’m committed to approaching it more thoughtfully moving forward. I know I want to continue the recaps, but I’ll share more on that (and other 2025 intentions) in my January post later this month.

Bonus Lesson: One can’t have too many plants

All the green ladies are alive, thriving, and settling into their spots. While it’s technically impossible to have too many plants, I probably should take a break from adding new bitties to the group. (That said, I’ve already failed—bought a new plant today!)

Studio Borealis Update

I’ve got a bunch of big plans for Studio Borealis in 2025! My goal is to really ramp up studio rentals, and I just need a hot minute to put my plans into action. That said, I was able to cross off a BIG item on my to-do list this December: adding keypad access to the studio.

For about a year, I’d been using a keybox system to let renters access the space when I wasn’t there. It worked well enough—until it didn’t. There were a couple of incidents where the door was left unlocked (once for three whole days over a holiday weekend!), and I finally decided it was worth the extra expense to install a secure lock system.

Shout out to Curt’s Lock & Key for installing the new keypad system! They were fantastic to work with and managed to get it done over the holiday break. Bonus: I can now check and control the lock remotely, so I can always make sure the door is secure. Whew!

I’m launching a newsletter

That’s right—I’m launching not one but TWO newsletters! One for BTP and one for Studio Borealis.

I’ve found I really enjoy sharing updates this way—more than just relying on social media. Newsletters are a great way to get all the compact updates in one place, straight to your inbox once a month.

In the Britta the Photographer newsletter, you can expect the latest updates, tips and tricks on everything from what to wear for headshots to taking your own amazing photos, highlights of recent client work, and a sprinkle of random Britta thoughts (don’t worry—I’ll keep the sap to a minimum, saving it for the really special moments). I might even throw in an exclusive promotion or two! 😉

If you’ve signed up for my newsletter in the past or are a recent client, you’ll likely see it in your inbox automatically. For everyone else, feel free to join in and sign up here:

The Studio Borealis newsletter is still a work in progress (it’ll likely be sent out once a quarter), but I’ll be sure to share the sign-up details once it’s ready to launch.

Now, in the part of the blog post where I share 10 images, work or otherwise, captured in December,

1: Hey! It’s my family. 2: Visit to Eventide with Hope Blooms 3: The Adorable Purrier Family 4: New headshot for Tracy H. 5: A very quick (and cold! It was 0 degrees) family session with the Berg family 6: The effervescent Liz Anne 7: The final Merry Happy Holiday Session with the Miner Family 8: The luminous Addy 9: SNAP! Session with Krystykka 10: My pup Rosie doing tricks for my son Anton.