2020 is almost over, and what a year it has been! Pandemic, facial covering, social distancing. Terms I never expected to hear. I know I’m not alone when I say I am, without any doubt, ready for this year to be over.
So, how did all of this affect my achieving my 2020 New Year’s photography resolutions?
My first resolution was to shoot more pictures. When the pandemic began in March, several of the photographic locations I like to go to closed down. But, staying close to home ended up being a good thing for two reasons. First, I became more attuned to numerous photo opportunities that were literally in my own back yard. Second, I allowed myself the opportunity to try different ideas, such as photographing oil in water. Most of those experiments did work out as well as I had hoped they would, but they were fun to try then, and they will be fun to try again.
The second resolution I made at the first of the year was to slow down and enjoy the photographic process. I wasn’t as successful with this one as I would have liked. In my excitement, I all too often would find myself beginning to photograph almost immediately upon arriving at a location. The images I achieved from this approach generally had the look and feel of a snapshot. However, in those situations where I did slow myself down and just observe what was around me before I ever picked up my camera, I was able to make photographs that I considered to be more artistic, which are the types of images I am always striving to create.
My third resolution was to always be prepared meaning to always have a camera with me. This one, actually, was pretty easy to achieve. I always have an old 12 megapixel DSLR and my tripod in my truck. When I don’t have quick or easy access to that, I have another camera that’s almost always with me: my cell phone which has its own 12 megapixel camera. Naturally, I would prefer to use the DSLR because of the control it gives me. But, in a pinch, especially if it’s something I’m just going to post quickly on social media, my cell phone does a sufficient job.
My fourth and final resolution was to write more. That seemed easy enough at first, but I soon found myself struggling to consistently come up with new posts. Then, I came across a blog post by Simon Ringsmuth entitled “Tips to Help You Start a Successful Photo Blog.” In the post, Mr. Ringsmuth discussed how he started his own photo blog, “Weekly Fifty,” in which he posts a new photo every week. I thought this made a lot of sense. So, beginning in April, I began posting a photo every Tuesday, and I haven’t missed a single week thus far. In addition, I also posted about other topics as ideas came to me.
There is no question that 2020 was an extremely challenging year and did not progress in any manner I would have ever anticipated. Despite that, I was still able to meet my personal goals. With that said, here’s to a much better year in 2021.