Reflections and Growth

Arlington VA family photographer | Washington DC family photographer

2023 was an exciting year for Sarah Thayer Photography! My little business turned 5, which blows my mind, and I had 40 sessions including two separate sets of mini sessions - my now-classic Cherry Blossom Minis, and a day to support a Hope for Grieving Families fundraiser.

I also changed gallery providers and began focusing more on print products, being extra-choosy with the professional labs I work with. I began showing families their photos in a slideshow set to music, and I think all of us fell in love with the experience and the photos all over again when we watched them! 😍 I know I did.

Plus, I got together with a group of local photographers just about once a quarter to chat and laugh and grow, which was such a joy. In the Fall I made a big investment into new gear: a new mirrorless camera I am so excited to use in 2024! Alsooo, can't forget my first StreetMeetDC event, where photographers and models hang, make photos together, and talk life & photography (I've included some at the end of this post!). I can't wait to get out to more meetups this year. I was also lucky enough to get invited to the Trust for the National Mall's rooftop for some gorgeous Fall color sunsets and meeting other photographers.

Personally, 2023 held a lot of change. I took on a big new role at a new company, took myself on a birthday getaway weekend, bought and moved into a new home. It also involved a lot of music! I was lucky enough to go to two concerts with family and friends - Noah Kahan with one of my best friends from New England and who I met in the 8th grade - everything about that experience was perfect. And later in the summer, I went to Maine for a 2-day music festival headlined by Guster - where I met up with the brother who introduced me to them and spent time with my nieces and sister-in-law (and ate as many lobster rolls as I could).

To all my 2023 families and friends: THANK YOU for such an incredible year! 

What's Next

So what’s next? I want to keep serving my fabulous clients well and explore more parks together. I’ve settled into the new gallery and print setup, and will continue to tweak my systems to be both personalized and efficient. 

Some of you know that I also make photos when I travel, and one of my big goals this year is to get my favorites into an art gallery, with the specific materials and frames and sizes that fit each image best. Want to know when this is live? Drop your email here and I’ll create a separate email list just for that. Related, I’ll be putting together a personal photo book from my experiences in India from late 2022. Yes, many of these will make their way into the art gallery as well!

It’s already/only January, so I have a lot of plans and systems in place to help me along, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that I’ll stick with them. 

Shout Outs

In addition to my many families over the years, I want to thank this crew that keeps me going:

• Fellow local photographers - Belle, Chrissy, Jillian, Melissa, Ashley, Megan
• Kami, my wonderful editor who helps me get all your photos out quickly
• Tidy Books, my new bookkeeper who manages the things I don't like to do lol
• Karen, my day-of assistant who helped make all 16 (!) of the cherry blossom minis go so smoothly