1) The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson: Whew…this book is a hard one to read. And yet, I still want to tell everyone I know to pick it up. It shares the story of a North Korean man and the trials he faces as he attempts to fight for his independence and that of the woman he loves. It’s such a complex story but a fascinating look into what life is like in North Korea, a country shrouded in secrecy. The author spent years working on it, and managed to make his own trip there for research. A book like this is the kind that makes you so grateful for the life you were born into. No matter what you or I are going through, we don’t live in a dictator state. Be thankful for that.

2) Sonicare Toothbrush: Nick’s mom gifted each couple one of these toothbrushes for Christmas after she fell in love with her own at her dentist’s recommendation. Not gonna lie…we both were skeptical. Like, could you REALLY tell that much difference? Well, after the first few uses, we were SOLD. I swear my teeth look whiter. My breath’s fresher. Orrrrr maybe my subconscious now just wants to be in a Sonicare commercial

3) Of Monsters and Men and Among Savages: 2012 has kicked off with some amazing new music and though it’s early, these acts have put out two of what I know will be my favorite albums of the year. I have a feeling you’ll be hearing more about both of them before too much longer. Discovering Of Monsters and Men filled me with that same sense of “Who are these guys?” that I felt when I first heard Mumford and Sons. And we all know what happened to them, right?

4) The Artist: When we went to see this, Nick had no clue the movie I was taking him to. As it started, I leaned in and whispered, “By the way, this is a silent movie!” He gave me this look like, “Are you kidding me?” And yet, we both walked out of “The Artist” feeling like we’d seen the best film we’d been to in years. Such a great story with a wonderful surprise ending. I highly recommend seeing it in the theater—it’s a movie that’s an experience, and I couldn’t imagine that feeling transitioning as well on TV.

5) New pillows: And finally, the purchase of a set of new down pillows for our bedroom in January has rocked my world. I mean, how often do you buy pillows? Uhhh…if you’re like us, not very often. I’m embarrassed to say, but we’ve had our same set since we got married. Meaning that going from those flat-as-a-pancake numbers to these? Like sleeping on a cloud.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Well, I was in charge of the indoor decorations, which came down the day before New Year’s. I leave the outdoor lights up to my husband. Who…ahem…may be waiting for warmer weather to take the big ‘ol bulbs off our rhododendron bush (which means, yep, we’re one of those houses for the time being). Here’s hoping this answer changes by the weekend!

3. What did you do for New Years Eve?

We have such an awesome group of friends in Indy who first got together to ring in the new year last year. We all came back together again this year for the same sequin-filled bash and now, I couldn’t imagine ringing in a new year any other way. Feel blessed by all of their friendships!

4. Do you like accents?

Pffftttt…what kind of question is THAT? If I tell you I adore Colin Firth and Keith Urban, does that answer the question?

5. What kind of television do you have?

A Samsung flatscreen. Which was purchased at a Black Friday sale in November 2010 and sat in the box for over 6 months until we the right place to put it in our revamped living room. Purchasing that television taught me two things: 1) I’m not big on having the latest and greatest in at-home entertainment (now that we have a TV that’s more compact, I could happily stick with this flat-screen until I’m 65) and 2) I will never ever shop a Black Friday sale again. Ever.

6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?

I’m proud to say I’ve gotten back into the habit of going to the gym three times a week (hit it up in the morning before work, so by 5 o’clock, I can be all, “Oh, hey, I actually DID work out today” and come home guilt-free!) Hoping I can make that stick as long as possible.

7. What’s the last book you read and do you recommend it?

It was Diane Keaton’s new memoir and I just felt “Ehhhh” about it –you can read my GoodReads review on it here (which, don’t you hate when you feel like you’ve not clicked with a book?) On the other hand, at the beginning of the month, I tackled The Orphan Master’s Son and WHOA. Let’s just say you’ll be hearing a bit more about that one later this week too.

8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?

Ummm….yes. To an embarrassing degree. Sigh. I wish I could kick the habit. But I just can’t. So I’ve given up and now consider the fact I know more about Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds dating than TMZ to be my own personal version of junk food.

9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?

All I’m gonna say to this is, “Innnn West Philadelphia, born and raised….”

10. What is your favorite educational television show?

The Werners are Jeopardy fanatics. But after that, I’m pretty dorky about getting sucked into PBS’s Frontline or, if I know it’s on, Lisa Ling’s show on the OWN Network is pretty fascinating too.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I’m thrilled to share with you guys this beautiful cover shot, one of many images I adore from Jennifer and Chris’s gorgeous September 2011 wedding. I think the best part of this whole experience was letting Jennifer know she had become a serendipitous cover girl (and seeing all the love her friends gave her on Facebook).

Jennifer, you are BEAUTIFUL and to the editors, writers and designer at M Magazine (hey Betsy! ) I say thanks for making this photographer’s January a little brighter.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

On the other hand, I need winter. Like a bear looking to hibernate, winter marks the season when I yearn to retreat. From behind a desk and calendar of social obligations, I head for the confines of a warm bed, down comforter and cup of peppermint tea. Not to mention long, unapologetic stretches of movie-watching, catching up on brilliant television and napping on the couch.

Come wintertime, I don’t feel guilty about laying around the house, reading a book all day. There is no yard work to be done. No clients to smile in front of my camera. No brilliant sunshine beckoning me to get out and get active.

But like a lot of you, I struggle with this season, too. For every day of gratitude at the rest it affords comes an hour of surrendering to its doldrums. To that place where I crave the very activities that preceded it. And this, as so many of you creatives know, is the hard balance of this season. Where we have to find the beauty in the break without losing that creative spark that ignites the other 10 months of our year.

January’s days are waning now. Until they’re gone, I’ll soak up what remains of their guilt-free allowances. The light may be drab and the temperatures chill, but I know this season soon will end and, with it, my body’s desires to do nothing. Come February, I’ll be ready to think spring again. How ’bout you?

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

I’m a big believer in goal setting. In the knowledge (and I think there’s scientific proof to this) that when you put down in words what you want to accomplish, you’re halfway to making it happen. Here are a few areas of my life I want to keep the focus on in 2012. To all of you writing your own 2012 goals, I wish you the best of luck!

REVAMP MY WEB PRESENCE: I’ve had a hard time with this because I love the look of my existing presence so much. But I recognize how important it is to grow and I have some unique ideas in mind for how I want to stretch myself creatively online. I’m enlisting the help of a dear designer friend in making this happen … now I just need to get serious and get to work!

WRITE MORE: This is a BIG one for me. I tend to put off writing in a way that pushes me because it scares me. The fear that I’m not good enough. The fear of rejection. The fear of thinking I don’t have anything worth contributing as a work of fiction to all those works of fiction already being read out there. But writing is one of my creative outlets and I want to push myself to do more of it in 2012—in reflective blog entries, in journal writing but also fiction. And (gulp) I may even share a few stories with you…it’s likely they’ll remain (as Anne Lamott loves to call ‘em) “shitty first drafts”, but I want to be brave in putting a few out there!

BE MORE OPEN—AND GET MORE SERIOUS—ABOUT MY FAITH: 2011 was the year I found my faith again. I’m a Christian, but for far too long I’d let my knowledge and understanding of my religion go lax. In 2011, I hunkered down and started reading my BIble in a way that felt like the best kind of homework. In 2012, I want to keep it up, continue exploring and understanding what it is I believe in. Furthermore, this is the year I want Nick and I to find a church family we can belong to (we’ve bounced around for too many years!)

FOCUS ON MY FAMILY: I got so busy in 2011, I wasn’t the best wife/sister/daughter/daughter-in-law I could be. I want to take strides to amend that—from more visits with family, to more phone calls and emails to a few scheduled family photo sessions for those near and dear to me.

DECLUTTER—IN HOUSE, MIND AND SPIRIT: Last winter, I did a huge purge of  stuff in our house we never wore or used or needed anymore. It felt SO GOOD. I intend to keep that up in all aspects—from the home, to the office, to my presences online. Simple and streamlined lets me focus on what I want to focus on, and not be distracted by clutter!

OWNING WHO I AM: Late last year, I wrote a guest post for Jasmine about striking a balance as someone working a full-time job and maintaining a photography career. To be honest, as I was writing it, I never once thought about the response to that entry. When it was published, I was overwhelmed by the number of photographers who reached out in comments and personal emails to me, thanking me for being a voice to them—someone to commiserate with in a position so little talked about. The experience taught me so much, but namely that I want to be a strong voice and pillar of support for other dual-career photographers. I want to embrace what it’s taught me, namely that IT’S OK TO RUN A BUSINESS YOUR OWN UNIQUE WAY. And that is what I intend to keep doing in 2012, friends!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Hope you enjoy this look back with me!

January: Making Nick’s birthday U2-rific — I surprised Nick with tickets to a U2 concert last summer for his big 3-0. It was SO much fun. (both the surprise and the concert…the concert was, whoa…one of the best I’ve ever attended. I mean, it’s Bono … how could it not be?)

February: I made it onto the CBS Early Morning show for copping the fashion style of the First Lady, went to WPPI but came home early due to the death of my grandmother. Mustering up the courage to eulogize her was such a bittersweet moment for me but it was such a pivotal moment that it will forever stand out in my memories of 2011.

March: I went to New York City by myself for my day job. Taking a trip like that felt so grown up. Not to mention going to see a few Broadway shows solo! What a fun time ….

April: I helped build a house, started a major rehaul of our living room and threw a Royal Wedding party for my students and co-workers from Ball State. That party was such a blast. Even if I’ll forever have proof of the bags under my eyes when those photos were taken at 4 a.m.!

May: I took a LOT of engagement photos but in between all those sessions, I was proud of myself for getting back on my road bike with Nick (after a nasty tumble two years ago that’d kept me away in fear!)

June: I reunited with some of my oldest college chums and it felt good to share our lives together over martinis shared on a warm summer night.

July: I took my mama to Asheville. And it.was.good.

August: Some women I adore opened their homes—and their hearts—to me as I ventured out to California for a week. It’s a state I love. That I would live in if I didn’t have such a good thing going for me here in Indiana. And this trip was one of my favorite memories of 2011.

September: This month wasn’t so much about “me” as my clients. Whew…three weddings and a family session. Kept me on my toes.

October: One of my favorite months of the year. Nick and I celebrated five years of marriage (how quickly those years have flown) and I went out of my way to squeeze in time both with my love but also to celebrate a season that is so dear to my heart.

November: I put the finishing touches on a living room project that occupied a corner of my brain for most of 2011, celebrated the launch of a friend’s bold project, and dreamed BIG dreams with my husband in the states of California, Oregon and Washington. Without question, my favorite memory of 2011 is the night we rolled into Mendocino. I left a piece of my heart along that coastline, that’s for sure. We’ll be back some day. And if we save and plan the way we ought to, maybe it can be for good.

December: I slowed down. And I needed it.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

]]> http://gailwernerblog.com/2011-in-review/feed/ 13 http://gailwernerblog.com/favorite-music-finds-of-2011/ http://gailwernerblog.com/favorite-music-finds-of-2011/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:03:07 +0000 Gail Werner http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=9978 If you know me well enough (or, really, barely at all – haha), you know my great affinity for good books and good music. For the past four years (which, that is hard to believe!), I’ve put together a year-end list of my favorite albums. Because they’re fun to look back on, here’s my picks from 2008, 2009 and 2010. And follow ‘em back long enough and you’ll see a few of the same artists make reappearances…what can I say, I’m loyal to the bands I love.

Which, speaking of, 2011? BANNER YEAR for amazing music. So much good stuff it felt nearly impossible to narrow it down but below are my Top 10 Faves. In the end, these made the cut because truly, I felt each album—start to finish—was pretty amazing. And in a day and age where the single rules, it feels good to play a record straight through, the way an artist intends it to be heard. So happy listening — can’t wait to hear what’s in store for this year! And let me know some of your fave music in the comments!

10) Death Cab for Cutie—”Codes and Keys”: Going back through my list of 2011 music, this one almost slipped by me but I can’t forget how many times I listened to this album all the way through last year. One of my favorite memories of the tunes on this latest collection from Mr. Gibbard and crew was a sunny fall afternoon, Nick and I driving back roads for a hike with this song blaring. Of course I was doing that “hand-wave-in-the-wind” while singing along, windows down. You HAVE to do that. Perfect road trip track, this one:

9) Beirut — “The Riptide”: This album is synonymous with my August 2011 trip to California. I’d just gotten it when I left for the airport, so I’m guessing I listened to it half-dozen times over the course of that week, never once tiring of it. Zach Condon’s voice is just so unique. Throw in the sound that Beirut has made their own — with those horns and that accordion — and well, any new material of theirs is A-OK in my book:

Black Keys’ — “Nova Baby”: Oh these boys! The whole album, start to finish, is amazing in that gritty mash-up that’s become their trademark sound. I’m seeing them in March and I’ll buy myself a black leather jacket before I do so I can look cool while I sing along to this favorite track:

7) Adele — “21″: When I first listened to this album all the way through last winter, I wanted to wrap myself up in Adele’s voice. Like it was a physical thing I could somehow cloak myself in. Come July, when you couldn’t escape “Rollin’ in the Deep” on the airwaves, I’d wished to never hear it again. But putting it away for a while and rediscovering it toward year’s end, I’m reminded again of just how brilliant Adele is. Or maybe what did it was this video (which inspired this HILARIOUS Emma Stone SNL skit). Crimney, she’s amazing:

6) Florence and the Machine—”Ceremonials”: This wasn’t as strong as “Lungs” (her debut album), but man alive, few can put an album out like Florence can, am I right? I listened to this album a lot this fall with all the driving I did for shoots and each time it grew on me. It also had my favorite song of the year on it, too. Yep, if I had to pick one song to have been stuck on a deserted island with in 2011, you best believe this was it:

5) The Civil Wars—”Barton Hollow”: If you didn’t hear of Joy Williams and John Paul White in 2011, you must have been living under a rock. I kid, I kid, but truth be told, if you haven’t already, you owe it to yourself to purchase this album. These two can harmonize like nobody’s business. One listen and it’s no wonder why they became one of the biggest “It” bands of the year. And this video? STILL gives me goosebumps:

4) The Head and the Heart: “The Head and the Heart”: Each year it seems like there’s one band that goes from obscurity to mega-fandom seemingly overnight. Last year, I’d say it was Mumford & Sons. This year, my vote goes for this Seattle crew. One of those albums that, upon listening to it first way through, I immediately went back and started all over. Clearly they’ve been put on this Earth to sing together like this (that harmony 2:00 in? Brillz.):

3) Ryan Adams: “Ashes and Fire”: There will always always always be a soft spot in my heart for this prolific crooner and one of my favorite songwriters. His music was the soundtrack of my college years and this new album of his (his first in some time) put me right back into that sweet spot in my life (when I first met Nick and was living cozy with my best friend in our tiny dorm). My favorite track on the album is the title track. Sometimes I’d find myself just randomly singing a lyric from it (that has henceforth become one of my favorite lyrics ever), “Her eyes were indigo and the cats was all calico.” It just, it comes at the perfect spot in the song and..will you purdy please listen? (it’s at 2:30):

2) Coldplay—”Mylo Xyloto”: There are so many people I know who are quick to sh*t on Coldplay. How they’ve become too popular, how they’ve sold out, blah blah blah. Haters can hate ’cause for me? They are the one band for which I own every album. Know every song. And have a major crush on the lead singer. No exaggeration, I probably listened to Mylo Xyloto straight through no fewer than 20 times this year (and the album came out in October!) If you’ve ever seen them live, you know the passion they bring to the stage. Oh, and no matter how many times I’ve heard this song, I can’t keep my foot from tapping along to it. Hope to see them again in 2012!!!:

1) Bon Iver— “Bon Iver”: Because this was the album that, every time I listened to it, I loved more. Because it played softly on the laptop too many nights to remember as I cooked dozens of meals for my husband. Because Justin Vernon put me in a trance as we watched him perform live last summer. Because any way you look at it, Bon Iver’s sounds pervaded so many memories of my 2011 there was no way it couldn’t be my favorite album of the year. This track was not only my favorite off it, but, in my opinion, Justin’s best effort yet:

And because I couldn’t end without a few runner-ups, here were the handful of other bands that put out new music so good it gave my Top 10 a run for its money. If you’re looking to use up some holiday iTune cards, any of the tunes from this post would be well spent!

Foster the People—”Torches”

The Belle Brigade—”The Belle Brigade”

Bombay Bicycle Club—”A Different Kind of Fix”

Dale Earnhart Jr. Jr.—”It’s a Corporate World”

Wilco—”The Whole Love”

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

]]> http://gailwernerblog.com/favorite-music-finds-of-2011/feed/ 11 http://gailwernerblog.com/december-book-review-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people/ http://gailwernerblog.com/december-book-review-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:28:22 +0000 Gail Werner http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=10005 There are certain books for which you take notes as you read along. 7 Habits is one of them. In my case, a COPIOUS amount of notes (12 pages worth, I think?) There were just that many nuggets of knowledge I wanted not just to gloss over but hold on to for the months and years—lifetime, really—to come.

In a nutshell, Stephen Covey boils down the 7 basic principles he views as the principle-centered, character-based building blocks of a productive life. Here’s a run-down of the habits and some of the gems I put down in my beloved Moleskin—a peek at why you need to pick up this book with your best New Year’s intentions for 2012.

Habit 1: Be Proactive
• Proactive people focus their efforts on their Circle of Influence. Reactive people tend to focus their energies on their Circle of Concern.
• The Circle of Concern is filled with “haves” (If I had more obedient kids…If I had a degree…If I could just have more time to myself) and the Circle of Influence is filled with “be”s (I can be more patient…I can be wise..I can be loving). It’s the CHARACTER FOCUS.
• Any time we think the problem is “out there,” that thought is the problem. WE EMPOWER WHAT’S OUT THERE TO CONTROL US.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
• Think about what you want the end of your life to look like—what you want people to say about you—and use that as the criteria upon which you examine all else in your life.
• We are either the 2nd creation of our own proactive design or the 2nd creation of other people’s agendas, or circumstances, or past habits.

Habit 3: Put 1st Things 1st
• Effective people aren’t problem-minded; they are opportunity-minded…work on feeding opportunities and starving problems.
• You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage to say “no” to other things. And the way you do it is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. You are always saying “no” to something.
• Work on building the emotional bank account with people (understand the individual, attend to the little things, keep commitments, clarify expectations)

Habit 4: Think Win/Win
• Aim to see life as a cooperative, not competitive arena, one in which your frame of mind is constantly seeking the mutual benefit in all human interactions.

Habit 5: Seek to Understand, Then Be Understood
• Don’t project your own “home movies” onto someone else’s behavior. Seek to listen to others empathetically.
• Next to physical survival, the greatest need is psychological—to be understood, affirmed, validated, appreciated.

Habit 6: Synergize
• When working with others (spouse, employee, friend) synergize and reach solutions that both can feel good about. Honor one another’s differences and what each of you can bring to the table.
***I LOVE THIS THOUGHT***
• The more authentic you become, the more genuine in your expression, particularly regarding personal experiences—even self-doubts—the more people can relate to your expression and the safer it makes them feel to express themselves. That expression in turn feeds back on the other’s spirit, and genuine creative empathy takes place, producing new insights and learnings and a sense of excitement and adventure that keeps the process going.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
• Routinely review your four dimensions: physical (exercise, nutrition, stress mgt.), mental (reading, writing, planning), social/emotional (service, empathy, synergy, friendships) and spiritual (study, meditation)
• Covey’s Daily Private Victory: Spend 1 hour a day in some combination of physical/spiritual/mental dimensions in a way to keep yourself centered
• What do we reflect to others about themselves? How much does that reflection influence their lives?
• The things you do in 1 dimension have a positive impact on other dimensions because they are inter-related. Physical health affects mental health; spiritual health affects social/emotional health. Improving in 1 dimension increases your ability in other dimensions.

And finally, a quote from George Bernard Shaw that Covey shares and that I love more than just about anything else I’ve read this year:

“This is the true joy in life—that being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. That being a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It’s a sort of splendid torch which I’ve got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possibly before handing it on to future generations.”

And that, friends, is a wrap on reading 12 business/betterment/photography books for 2011. Whew! Here’s a peek at the other 11 books I dove in to for this purpose this past year:

January’s Book: Linchpin by Seth Godin

February’s Book: The Courage to Create by Rollo May

March’s Book: Creating Customer Evangelists by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba

April’s Book: Today We are Rich by Tim Sanders

May’s Book: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

June’s Book: Fine Art Wedding Photography by Jose Villa

July’s Book: VisionMonger by David duChemin

August’s Book: The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders

September’s Book: Love Marks by Kevin Roberts

October’s Book: Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith

November’s Book: Your Baby in Pictures by Me Ra Koh

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

]]> http://gailwernerblog.com/december-book-review-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people/feed/ 3 http://gailwernerblog.com/on-the-mend/ http://gailwernerblog.com/on-the-mend/#comments Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:05:23 +0000 Gail Werner http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=10031 I can’t believe it’s been nearly a week since I lasted check in on the blog! Sorry to have gone silent friends, but these past few days have been r-o-u-g-h. I managed to land both bronchitis and a sinus infection in this nasty bit of sickness going ’round and it knocked me flat. I don’t get sick often (thank you God!) which means I can vividly remember the handful of times I’ve been super sick. This one time, in eighth grade, I had strep throat and can remember (literally) crawling to the refrigerator from the couch, croaking, “Waattterrrr….” (I’m sure my dad thought I was being a drama queen.) This other time I got horribly sick was a few years ago, during the Winter Olympics. Which meant I had intermittent “couch dreams” that involved members of the U.S. ski team. An experience that also taught me I will never ever try TheraFlu again. Blech.

This time around—for the first time in years—I was “I want my mom” sick. I called her Friday and joked how I wished she lived closer so she could come envelop me in a hug because I really needed one. Thankfully I have a wonderful hubby who took care of me (from a distance) – and this during his BIRTHDAY week no less! He cooked up a batch of our favorite homemade chicken noodle soup for me and I treated those leftovers like nectar from the gods.

I’m finally feeling on the other side of this thing and looking forward to catching up with some new (errr…held over!) 2011 content — so I’ll have December’s book review, my fave music of 2011 and a look back at the year in personal photos coming up. Just as soon as I, you know, stop coughing up a lung over here…..Thanks for being patient with me if you’re waiting on an email or phone call. I’m getting to it!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

]]> http://gailwernerblog.com/on-the-mend/feed/ 12 http://gailwernerblog.com/best-of-2011-the-favorites/ http://gailwernerblog.com/best-of-2011-the-favorites/#comments Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:25:39 +0000 Gail Werner http://gailwernerblog.com/?p=9819 I hope every photographer takes the time to compile a best-of-the-year collection of images. In doing so, you take the 20 minutes you never give yourself any other time of year to really look at all you’ve accomplished. Here I sit, having pulled together some of my favorite captures of 2011, and all I can think is, “YOU took all of these. YOU made these memories come alive.” It’s easy to get down about one’s talent, to think you’re never good enough or that someone’s work or that next blog entry you spot on Facebook is always better than your own. Lord knows I do it all the time. But it’s this post, every year, that makes me look at the sum of all the “parts”. And then I realize, if I just keep my head down, do the work, and focus on my clients (not my perceived shortcomings), then as an artist, I, too, can truly do something great.

Take a few minutes this season to hit that sweet spot of remaining humble yet grateful and full of wonder at what you’ve done this year. You—and me—have come a long way in 2011. It’s when we take a breather like this that such a realization comes full circle.

And without further ado, a resharing of some of my favorite images of 2011, in no particular order:Thank you to ALL my clients in 2011 who made this year such an incredible one! I appreciate your trust and faith in my work more than you could ever know!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

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