Melissa Johnston Photography

I did it! I managed to blog every single day for one whole month. I can now scratch one more thing off my 101 things in 1001 list! It was an awesome adventure and certainly kept me on my toes. Since I was also able to keep up with so many posts I now won’t need to blog summer sessions all the way into February! I will still try and make it a point to continue blogging fairly often so that my faithful readers won’t desert me.

September is coming up and already looks like it will be one crazy month for Melissa Johnston Photography. I might not be blogging every day but I will be sure to work extra hard on some finishing touches for the Wedding Show that will be taking place at Lansdowne Park on September 11th and 12th. Be sure to check that out and while you’re at it, stop by my booth to say hello!

What’s a post without a picture as I always say? Here’s one I recently took at the Ottawa Ex just last week. This fair brings back so many childhood memories and I always try and make it out every year, even if it’s just to grab a candy apple…

Don’t go too far, another gorgeous wedding post coming up soon!

As promised, here is my 101 in 1001 list. For New Years, I decided to list 101 things to do in 1001 days (just under 3 years) instead of making some New Years resolutions. I find making lists like this force me to accomplish the things I want to do and it feels so good doing them!  101 is a lot of things to accomplish. There’s a variety of small things and there are some big challenges too. I will try my best to achieve everything! Wish me luck – Here it goes:

1. Learn to be a better snowboarder
2. Volunteer abroad atleast for a month
3. Get a bike * Done 17/08/10
4. Attend a mentor session with a photographer that I admire
5. Have a complete set of prime lenses especially those that I dream of!
6. Attend a huge workshop
7. Get in shape
8. Have my photography featured in a magazine
9. Double blog traffic
10. Go to Europe
11. Have a regular yoga/pilates regime
12. Print pictures for my own home
13. Shoot a wedding in a country I’ve never been
14. Find a nice packaging system for the business
15. Be a vegetarian for a month
16. Have atleast one shoot yearly where proceeds go to a charity of my choice
17. Make a vegetable garden ever year
18. Open my own studio
19. Learn guitar
20. Get pics taken of myself by a great photographer
21. Go to a karaoke with friends * Done 23/02/10
22. Go on a very long roadtrip for atleast a week * Done 12/07/10
23. Get a blog or site professionally made
24. Go to a shooting range
25. Make a photobook with my own pictures
26. Hire an intern
27. Make a new close friend
28. Go white water rafting
29. Offer a mentor session
30. Get a new hairstyle
31. Go out West * Done 05/05/10
32. See and maybe even shoot some wildhorses * Done 08/05/10
33. Spend a full day alone at the spa
34. Find a better editing process
35. Finally use all of my Polaroid film and make a project out of it
36. Refurbish a piece of antique furniture
37. Make more time for friends
38. Learn to sew and make something
39. Shoot a close friend’s wedding
40. Pay off my school loans
41. Blog everyday for a month * Done 31/08/10
42. Face one of my fears
43. Read a book a month
44. Get my wisdom teeth taken out * Done 22/03/10
45. Start a retirement fund
46. Find a new music artist interest
47. Make a picnic and eat it under a tree
48. Start a journal with dreams, goals and inspiration
49. Go to a photography tradeshow convention (WPPI, Imaging USA, etc.)
50. Get a clawfoot tub
51. Go snow tubing
52. Learn how to curl my hair well
53. Give my cats a bath
54. Find an artificial lighting technique that suits my style better
55. Sing at an open mic
56. Finish my abandoned farmhouse project
57. Make a boudoir section on the website
58. Finally grow some herbs in my kitchen pots * Done 12/05/10
59. Print more canvases for my office
60. Volunteer somewhere where people are in need
61. Finally go on a trip with my mom * Done 20/02/10 to 28/02/10
62. Do something I would not normally do
63. Go camping for atleast a week * Done 18/07/10
64. Shoot my first Chinese or Indian wedding
65. Have a themed party
66. Don’t drink pop for one whole month
67. Grow a nice flower bed * Done 12/05/10
68. Find an album company I am really happy with and get great album samples * Done 26/08/10
69. Get a nicer car * Done 04/25/10
70. Make a manual with my business systems
71. Cook dinner every night for one whole month
72. Give away a wedding package to someone who really needs it
73. Buy another really cool antique camera * Done 05/28/10
74. Go zip lining
75. Do a random act of kindness
76. Do a creative shoot on film
77. Get my tattoo covered/removed * Done 21/06/10
78. Become even more proficient in Photoshop
79. Help at a homeless shelter on Christmas Day
80. Spend New Years Eve in New York City
81. Take more artistic, personal photos
82. Lose 10lbs so I can fit in my highschool jeans
83. Bake something once a month for a year
84. Take a girls only week or weekend with my girlfriends
85. Get my nails strong so I can have beautiful, healthy nails!
86. Finally do my ‘G’ driving test * Done 27/01/10
87. Floss daily for a whole month
88. Babysit my godson * Done 13/06/10
89. Shoot a trash the dress in the snow
90. Go for a hot stone massage at The Nordik
91. Add pictures to Flickr
92. Knit a blanket
93. Rekindle my friendship with a long time friend (love you Jess) * Done 06/07/10
94. Organize and find a functional paperwork system for finances, client bookings, etc.
95. Join ‘Now I Lay me Down to Sleep’
96. Go apple picking
97. Purchase PhotoOne
98. Transfer all CDs to iTunes
99. Read a business book
100. Take one REAL day off every week during the busy months of June-September
101. Donate 5$ for each item on my list that was not accomplished to a organization of my choice