A New Year.

 Well, 2026 is upon us. There is always hope at the beginning of a new year. It is not always well founded; for example, I had a very good year in business in 2019 and I predicted that 2020 would be even better. Well, we all know how that turned out!!  Still, the possibilities are there and even if 2026 is not the best year ever, we can hope for the best and work to make our hopes come true. Because, that's the point, it's all very well wishing and planning but, as the saying goes, "A goal without a plan is just a wish!"

Have you ever sat down at the beginning of a new year to set out your goals? There are various kinds of goals. There's the "New Year Resolution" kind, which frequently have no plan. It's hardly surprising that most resolutions are toast by February 1!  There are the goals which are forced upon us, like those awful annual reviews where the boss asks you to rate your performance and set goals for the next year. There are lofty life goals, like marriage, children and retirement. I suspect that we spend a lot of time thinking about retirement while filling out those annual reviews but how much time actually planning for it?

For any small business owner, planning for the year ahead is extremely important. Like many photographers, I got into business because I loved photography, not because I had the least idea what was involved in running a business! Costs rise, suppliers stop supplying, equipment breaks, or becomes obsolete. I have been through 8 cameras, 4 computers and three websites. Part of the planning process is deciding whether the shiny new (insert item) is really necessary to make your business run better. I got a new computer because Windows 10 was discontinued-a valid reason to my mind. However, I spent a lot of time looking at new website platforms and came to the conclusion that the one I've had for 10 years is working just fine, so I might as well stay with it. 

The turn of the year is the perfect time to look at what worked in 2025 and what didn't - what still excites me and what has become a chore. The customer landscape has changed and evolved over the 20 years that Joanna's Digital Images has existed. My interests have changed as well. I don't shoot weddings any more but I enjoy photographing events. Headshot clients tend to be professionals who treat me as a professional and I enjoy providing them with images that will help their business grow. I love photographing families and children but I will leave the mini-sessions in the park to the many shoot and burn photographers who advertise on Facebook.

In 2026, I would like to do more photo restoration and digital design work. I enjoy the challenge to my Photoshop skills and the excitement and pleasure the results bring to my clients. As the digital age progresses, I think that preserving our photographs is even more important. Cell phone photography is throw-away, instant gratification. While the photos are acceptable, they live on our devices unless we print them or take steps to preserve them. Forever permanent cloud storage is one way to archive our memories, both the old, restored photos and the new, digital ones. It's not really about storage, as in putting something in a box to keep it safe, it's about stories and keeping them alive for future generations.

Photography has always been about preserving a moment in time. As we begin the new year, I wish you peace and prosperity and memories in abundance!