Happy New Year to all my photography friends ! Can you believe it is 2019 already? Time flies huh?
Are you one of those people who makes resolutions every
January and then fights to keep them? Even
though I have a hard time sticking to some of the resolutions I make, I still
find that the practice of making resolutions helps me to get myself motivated. It
is also a chance to look back at the year and to see what I have learned from my
experiences and what I need to work on. For
myself I find it very useful to set some clear (obtainable) goals.
Just about every photographer I know says they’re going to try to
shoot more in the coming year. Practice makes perfect right? How about raising the bar a little and start sharing more of your work online or on social media platforms? This can be a
great way to build up your business and network more at the same time.
In the winter months I try to update my portfolio (s) and
get my backups in order. Depending on how thorough you are throughout the year,
this can be a simple project or a major one. Another good resolution can be to
get your gear lust under control and try to maintain your current gear instead. Here's a great tip; stop comparing
yourself to other photographers.
Here are a few ideas for resolutions you might try in the
coming year
- If you have a website (or websites) you could try updating it or maybe giving it a fresh new look with a much needed overhaul?
- We all have books in our libraries we have never gotten around to finishing yet. Break out some of your photography books and read or re-read them.
- Improve your skill set by either taking a class at your local community college or online. Classes in retouching or post processing techniques are always helpful. Face it; unless you’re an Adobe Certified Expert we can always improve our Photoshop and/or Lightroom skills.
- Teaching a photography or lighting workshop. Maybe you have some experience editing or taking photos with your iPhone. These days everyone has a cell phone that takes photos and videos and a lot of them would like to improve their photography.
- Improve your own lighting skills with off-camera flash or with studio lighting. Photography is all about light and the better we get at it, the easier our jobs become right?
- Maybe you could organize a photo trip with fellow photographers. I find these not only fun, but very educational at the same time.
- Print more photos. There is nothing better than a beautiful print right?
These are just a few suggestions but the list can go on and
on. Stick to your guns and make 2019 your best year yet. As always, remember to
keep shooting and have some fun!
