Year in Review: 2020
WE DID IT. We made it to the final days of this crazy, bizarre, hellish, scary, sad, insane whirlwind of a year. The pandemic was enough for one to throw their hands up and surrender to the year back in March. And it is 100% acceptable if you did, in all honesty. Every single person in the world experienced trauma in some sort and, in some strange way, knowing that was somewhat comforting. We wore masks for the majority of the year, only saw friends and families in very small doses and few people at a time, we protested for the lives of our brothers and sisters in the black community, and were a part of the largest voter turnout in history. What. A. Year.
On a much, much smaller scale, my little business endured its first full year and made it out alive. WOOF. Which is why I am excited to share Lumosco’s very first Year in Review!
What I love about the closing of a year is allowing myself time to reflect. What went wrong, what went right, what can be improved, and using those reflections to shape the way I work in the future. It is a time to reminisce and be present with my thoughts. And a time to actively set goals for this upcoming season ahead.
Without further ado, I present to you… Lumosco’s first Year In Review: 2020! ;)
For me, 2020 started off fairly normal: visiting St. Louis from Chicago for a handful of winter weddings and celebrations, rehearsing for my dance company’s annual spring show, working my odds and ends jobs and gigs, and overall seeing many people everyday without thinking twice about it. In the “before" times, I had the pleasure of shooting events and working with The Movement Guild in West Town Chicago and was a photographer for SoFar Sounds in Chicago (check out my favorite venues I shot at while working for SoFar here)
The Before Times
I also was asked to participate in Infant Welfare Society of Oak Park/River Forest’s first annual gala event “Mosaic.”
I had an absolute blast working with The Space Movement Project on a shoot for their 15 year anniversary concert and their new website launch!
During the cold and windy winter months prior to quarantine, I experimented with some studio sessions and varying elements for portraits.
And had a few final sessions before knowing the severity of covid and the lockdown began…
The lockdown
I captured a few moments the evening the lockdown began. Oh, the things we did not know would happen throughout this year.
The lockdown was set and the quarantine was in full effect, so I had to get creative. I began offering free virtual photo sessions over FaceTime. See how I conducted my virtual sessions here!
During quarantine, I spent 3 months with my long-distance partner, David and his son, Joey in his 800 square-foot apartment in St. Louis. We spent those months homeschooling, taking long walks, making delicious meals, playing music, doing lots of virtual yoga, working from home (Dave still had his job, and I spent that time working on my business and enrolling in business education courses).
Since I couldn’t shoot my favored subject (humans), I explored photographing nature and patterns. We spent a lot of time outdoors this spring and it quickly became something relaxing and creative for me to focus on.
Joey did his school work assigned by his teacher, but our other homeschool curriculum included: The Art of Bubble Blowing, Advanced Walking, Cooking for Tiny Kitchens, Basic Photography and Editing for Kids, Arts & Crafts, and lots of frisbee throwing, nerf playing, and dance parties on our recess breaks.
And this was Dave’s work from home setup.
Joey celebrated his 9th (and golden) birthday this spring and although he couldn’t have a party with all his friends and relatives, he had a pretty spectacular day filled with lots of outdoor time, games, a homemade cinnamon roll cake (with sprinkles), and a fully decorated apartment for his special day.
We took several hiking trips to break up our outdoor routine a bit and saw some beautiful places in Missouri. Below: Johnson Shut-ins in Southern MO.
Summer
My college roommates and I were called the 2020 gals because of our address in school, so we had been planning for a big trip in the year 2020, of course. We had to adjust our plans and one of our crew couldn’t make the trip, but we plan to do it big sometime in 2021, hopefully.
We ended up taking a safe road trip to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and stayed in the most adorable A-frame Airbnb!
My parents did extreme renovations on, sold, and moved out of the house that my brother and I grew up in.
And I got to work with other talented photographers in both St. Louis and Chicago.
(Below) Top row photos were taken by the incredible Jordan from JKG Photography, bottom row photos were shot by the wonderful Sarah Glover who did a photoshoot for those who donated to Black Lives Matter Chicago this summer!
I wanted to spend my last few months of my lease in Chicago before officially moving to St. Louis. I went back to work at the restaurant I previously worked at before covid, slowly packed my things, did daily bike rides and walks to the lake, saw good friends safely and one at a time instead of having a big going away celebration. It was much different than the move from Chicago that I expected.
I did what I could with my last summer living in Chicago. Dave and my parents came up to help with the move. My last night in Chicago we all went for a bike ride to the lake and got caught in a huge rain storm on the ride back home. It was magical and oddly the perfect final evening living in the city.
We did lots of kayaking and time on and near the water and that very much made my soul happy.
We finalized packing up the apartment and I moved to St. Louis on a Monday. Listen to the song “Sun in an Empty Room” by the Weakerthans for a big mood of my summer and move.
Chicago Summer Sessions
Over the summer, I was able to safely conduct sessions of so many talented artists, dancers, fitness instructors, yogis, and movers.
Along with some absolutely wonderful couples.
As well as capturing portraits of more incredible humans.
St. Louis welcomed me with open arms. I auditioned and began dancing for Ashleyliane Dance Company, where we rehearsed and took class virtually and in person (masked and distanced), and put on two fully produced virtual shows. And the momentum for Lumosco continued to propel forward.
Fall and Winter Sessions
I worked with more incredibly talented dancer and movers of St. Louis.
And was so honored to capture all kinds of big and special life events, including a surprise proposal (read more about that here!) and a pregnancy announcement!!
As well as portraits to capture this moment in people’s lives amidst the chaos.
And the three of us finally got to take our first holiday card photos together after four years. (We took these with my camera on both a timer and using my phone as a remote!)
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for coming along for the ride!
I know that it’s been a life-changing year for all of us in many ways. Amongst this crazy, wild, isolating, sad year, there’s still some good to be acknowledged. In the first full year of running Lumosco, I started working with my dream clients, invested in education to further grow my business, learned so much about running a photography business, and am continuously learning how to better serve my clients. I’ve worked with some of the best dancers, movers, couples, families, and business owners I know and I’ve met and reconnected with so many incredible humans along the way. Even as I write this, I truly cannot believe that this happened in this whirlwind of a year.
All this to say, Lumosco really, truly could not have made it through this year without you. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. For your continued support. For believing in me. For referring me to friends and loved ones. For sending me encouraging messages full of love. I truly cannot thank you enough.
Sending lots of love and positivity to you and your loved ones this season and in this upcoming year. And a huge THANK YOU again for all your love and support for Lumosco.
Much love, Sam