Now that I have my Etsy shop up and running, periodically I’ll tell you a little about one of my listings. There’s a story behind everything, some more interesting than others!
Don’t know where this one fits on the interesting scale, but it’s definitely a favorite of mine. You see, it combines several of my favorite things! Well, at least creating it did.
Aside from my love of photography, I've also had a life-long obsession with stationery. Is that weird? I always thought it was. Kept it to myself while secretly creating my own personalized note cards, letter head and logos (which of course fed my love of graphic design, page layout, and desktop publishing). But I figured I was a lone dove. Then I did some searches on Instagram and Pinterest. MY PEOPLE! I’ve finally found you! Where have you been all my life??
Yes. Stationery addicts are out there in force! As are planner addicts. Oh, yeah, that’s on my list, too. I’ve gone through so many different calendars, journals, planners (call them what you will) to try to organize myself, my family, my work, etc. I’ve never managed to stick to any one product or method for too terribly long, but I love exploring options! And now I find new ones every day. I can’t keep up.
When I first contemplated starting a photography business, my mind went immediately to using my photos on calendars and note cards. I mean, why not create the things I love? I did some competitive research and found a bunch of photographers selling 5”x7” loose page desk calendars. Oh yeah, I could totally pull that off!
Knew right away what subject I would focus on for my first calendar—another love, of course: cherry blossoms! Spent two mornings during peak bloom last year wandering along the Tidal Basin, capturing hundreds of photos. Somehow managed to narrow it down to a dozen shots and then spent a week painstakingly laying out each month in PhotoShop. Oh, how I wish I’d had enough to spring for InDesign, too. I’m a self-taught PhotoShop user, so my back-end PSD file would horrify a true graphic designer. But it got the job done!
I eventually found a place to print the loose pages on 5”x7” card stock and I’m really happy with the end product!
I’m hoping to be able to bring the production in-house for my 2020 version, and if that’s a success, I’ll be able to bring down the sale price and add other designs for 2020. So far, I’m contemplating adding a Lotus Blossom edition as well as a general floral set. Stay tuned—if all goes well, I’ll share them in a post this fall!
In the meantime, I still have a few of my 2019 Cherry Blossom Desk Calendars in stock, ready to ship! Even better, I’m about to to discount them. You may have missed having the January and February at-a-glance dates on hand, but you can still enjoy the photos! Just cut off the dates and frame the remaining 5”x5” Anne Corcoran Photography original cherry blossom shot. No harm done! By the time January 2020 rolls around, you’ll have a nice wall gallery to bring a touch of spring to your room year-round!