2024 Year in Review: Laura Hatcher Photography Highlights

2024: A Year of Growth, Reflection, and New Horizons

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."
— James Cash Penney

Hello 2025!

As another year comes to a close, I find myself once again sitting down to reflect, review, and recalibrate. Just as in years past, I dive deep into my numbers to analyze what worked, what didn’t, and how I’ve grown as a photographer and business owner. But numbers only tell part of the story. Behind the metrics are the experiences, lessons, and relationships that shape my incredible journey as a solo-preneur.

If 2023 was about lessons learned, 2024 has been a year of transformation and setting new standards—both for myself and my business.

2024 by the numbers

This year was quite productive.

385 headshots photographed

22 photography classes and workshops taught

9 military ceremonies captured

8 podcast and panel guest appearances

1 DoD SkillBridge intern mentored for six months

Moved to a new studio with double the square footage

Retired the 15-month Vietnam Veteran exhibit at the Virginia War Memorial reaching over 650,000 visitors

Earned Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification from SBA

Took 4 vacation trips to Florida, Tuscany, Brussels, and Washington State

Each of these milestones represents more than just a statistic—they tell a story of impact, learning, and growth.

Revisiting the Highlights

Closing a 15-month chapter. Storytelling and preserving legacies has always been at the heart of my photography. Last April, I had the honor of attending the closing ceremonies for the Vietnam Veterans exhibit I helped bring to life in 2022. Watching the Veterans reconnect and reflect on their stories was profoundly moving, and I felt immense pride in knowing my work contributed to documenting their legacies. While the exhibit has retired, the War Memorial intends to have a traveling version to visit schools and Virginia Care Centers.

Military ceremonies continue to be a highlight. This year, I photographed nine promotion and retirement events—each one a testament to the sacrifices and dedication of service members and their families and I'm grateful to be part of honoring those milestones.

New Space, New possibilities

In the summer, I took a leap of faith by moving my studio to a larger space—doubling both my square footage and my rent. The new studio has already proven to be a game-changer.

Moving into a larger studio allowed me to host group sessions, including a visit from a local high school entrepreneurship class. Their questions and excitement reminded me of why I started this journey in the first place—to inspire and empower others. My photography classes, once limited to 4-5 students in a cramped room, now accommodate up to 8 students in my new space.

Sharing the journey

Running a business isn’t always easy, but it’s endlessly rewarding. I mentored and hosted a DoD SkillBridge intern from March to August. The SkillBridge program allows active duty service members to intern with a company to support their transition to a civilian career. Mentoring a fellow Veteran was even more fulfilling than I anticipated, and we stayed incredibly busy during her time with me.

2024 Year in Review

On the Horizon

As I look ahead to 2025, here’s what I’m most excited about:

January/February: Attending Imaging Expo 2025 in Dallas, Texas
March: Documenting the unveiling of the Alexandria Waterfront public art.
March: Supporting the Naval Academy Minority Association (NAMA) Annual leadership summit in Annapolis, MD
April: Supporting UMGC Military Veteran Fair with headshots
June: attending a photography workshop in Italy
June: Supporting the Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium (JWLS)
December: Beating Army again (Go Navy)!

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve trusted me to capture your memories, attended one of my workshops, or cheered me on from afar—your support means everything.

Here’s to another year of living, learning, and creating.

26 Comments

Mar 30, 2025, 5:13:41 PM

Laura Carrubba - Congratulations!!!

Feb 15, 2025, 7:42:10 AM

Jackie - I'm late to the party. What a great 2024. Did you get any sleep?!! I wish you a 2025 full of even more accomplishments!

Jan 25, 2025, 5:26:23 PM

Beth Bierden - Laura, what a great year! Thanks for sharing and all that you do.

Jan 9, 2025, 9:01:16 AM

Ed Vogt - Very excited at your transition to business owner/entrepreneur and mentor. Leading the way!

Jan 7, 2025, 3:11:16 PM

John Guzman - Awesome wrap-up and videos, thanks for sharing. Best wishes for the same in 2025!

Jan 6, 2025, 9:07:25 PM

VINCENT F HALEY - Laura, congrats on your journey and may you receive many blessings as you bless others with what you do behind the lens!

Jan 6, 2025, 5:04:04 PM

Laura Hatcher - LOL Wil, retirement is overrated!

Jan 6, 2025, 5:03:32 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thank you Jeffrey!

Jan 6, 2025, 5:03:06 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thank you Leon!

Jan 6, 2025, 1:34:50 PM

Leon Perry - I love it, Laura! Really appreciate your impact in the DMV and beyond. Hope to see you soon! Beat Navy! :-)

Jan 6, 2025, 8:26:43 AM

Jeffrey Pryor - Great work! Here's to another year of excellence.

Jan 6, 2025, 7:35:40 AM

Will Kotheimer - Wow! You are very busy for a "retired" person! ;) Gratulerer til deg! Hvis du vil ta bilder på nordlys, ringer meg.

Jan 5, 2025, 10:01:32 PM

Laura Hatcher - Roy, thanks for reading Brother.

Jan 5, 2025, 10:00:52 PM

Laura Hatcher - Amanda, thank you!

Jan 5, 2025, 6:31:55 AM

Amanda Linder - What a beautiful 2024! Best wishes for another amazing year in 2025 🎉

Jan 4, 2025, 10:34:53 PM

Roy Love - Amazing progress, Laura! Always a joy to see your amazing work! Congratulations! Keep smiling and shining!

Jan 4, 2025, 7:47:38 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thanks Classmate, great to hear from you, always! Go Navy!

Jan 4, 2025, 7:47:02 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thank you for the kind words Kris! Great to hear from you.

Jan 4, 2025, 7:45:21 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thank you Cedric, I appreciate the support

Jan 4, 2025, 7:43:57 PM

Cedric Shamley Jr - Awesome Leader 💜

Jan 4, 2025, 7:40:16 PM

Kristopher Boyd - WOW, what great accomplishments. So many unselfish for others enjoyment, education, development, and more. Thank you for allowing me to the opportunity to read and enjoy this. This is giving me some much confidence, drive, and motivation to keep moving forward. Very Respectfully, Kris Boyd

Jan 4, 2025, 7:32:27 PM

Oggie - Laura, What a wonderful 2024 you had. Thank you for sharing it with so many. I’m so proud to know you and have you as a classmate and friend. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future! -Oggie

Jan 3, 2025, 6:43:17 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thank you Brother, best wishes to you in the New Year!

Jan 3, 2025, 6:42:40 PM

Laura Hatcher - Thank you for reading Gabriel!

Jan 3, 2025, 1:11:29 PM

Gabriel Allan Tolliver - Constant Elevation and Expansion! Thank you for sharing.

Jan 3, 2025, 8:09:45 AM

Enrique Acosta Gonzalez - It has been such a blessing watching all these events unfold for you. 2025 already looks bright for you and I will continue to cheer you on from afar until we meet in person. Blessings 🙏🏼⚓️💪🏼

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2024 Year in Review

2024: A Year of Growth, Reflection, and New Horizons

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."
— James Cash Penney

2024 by the numbers

Revisiting the Highlights

2024 Year in Review

On the Horizon

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2024 Year in Review

2024: A Year of Growth, Reflection, and New Horizons

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."— James Cash Penney

2024 by the numbers

Revisiting the Highlights

2024 Year in Review

On the Horizon

Leave a comment

Archive

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."
— James Cash Penney