As we are fast approaching the holiday season and Christmas madness seems to be in full flow, I feel quite relaxed compared to previous years. Even though work wise, it is probably our most hectic year yet!

Why hasn’t the christmas madness set in yet? I guess it is because after years of working as hard as possible to build Tara Donoghue Photography, I was offered the opportunity to fly half way around the world, take almost a month off and get to finish the trip with shooting a wedding with the backdrop as Sydney harbour bridge (YES I KNOW IT WAS AMAZING!!).

I have finally managed to re set the balance which as any business owner will know is like turning the titanic (a friend recently explained it to me with that metaphor and it really “sunk in” lol!)

Most business owners work late into the night, don’t take days off and usually end up checking in on some aspect of their business over any major holiday season. While others are running out the door never to think of work again until the holiday season is well and truly over! Being self employed is completely different. It is very hard to let go! If it is a business that you are passionate about you literally live and breathe it.

Flying to the other side of the world forced me to let go. Sitting listening to the sound of the sea, coffee in hand, while this side of the world was fast asleep, makes you think about the chaos, the pressure and the insanity we all put ourselves through daily in order to be the best we possibly can and provide the best we can for ourselves and our loved ones.  Spending every day playing, laughing, talking, exploring was amazing for us as a family and me personally. Life still carried on, brides and grooms still continued to enquire and book us for their wedding day, as we corresponded via email and the business didn’t fall apart because it didn’t have my undivided attention for a few weeks.

Christmas is all about family, it is about reaching out to friends, neighbours and strangers who may need a hand at this time of year. It isn’t about buying pointless gifts or stretching ourselves to the limit, it is about love.

As a Wedding and Portrait Photographer, it is my job to document and show “LOVE” on a daily basis. The love between husband and wife, parent and child, or sibling rivalry as may be the case in a family shoot 😉

We still have 6 more weddings to shoot in 2015, which is why I haven’t bought one Christmas pressie yet (but there is still plenty of time!). For me this christmas is about seeing our son in his first christmas play. It is about watching him get swept up in the magic of Christmas (Dave is still trying to convince him that Santa will need a beer left out for him!). It is about focusing on the present not presents and making and recording memories for us to look back on in years to come.

So if you feel yourself getting a little or a lot stressed out this Christmas, try to step back and focus on what is important.

Take time out to be present this Christmas.

With love,

Tara xxx