Our photography practice is a continuing journey, building on what we know and adding new skills to our craft. What endeavors did you try out in 2023 that you decided just weren’t worth continuing with in 2024? Were there some that you decided to move up on the list?
Let go of habits that no longer motivate you or advance your skills. It might be hard to break from a comfortable routine but it can free you to explore new areas of photography.
Adopt practices that you’ve toyed around with, look to photographers in various genres that can inspire you to get out of your comfort zone.
Reward yourself for the goals you’ve met and the milestones you’ve reached. Reflect on the work you put in to achieve those and chart a course to continue expanding in those areas or with the techniques you most enjoyed.
Don’t discount the mistakes or struggles, try to understand the reasons why they didn’t work well or were difficult to deal with. List the most useful set of lessons learned from the past year and move forward with wisdom for improvement.
Evaluate your technical and artistic development and define areas to continue expanding your skills.
Set new photography-related goals considering;
- Where do you want to improve?
- What projects can you list to inspire you in the year ahead?
- Do you need to expand your creative vision and ‘see’ stronger images?
- Do your software skills need improving to take your imagery to the next level?
- Will new gear will solve a problem you’re currently faced with?
Be thankful for all who contributed to your own photography journey and pay it forward where you can. Consider the connections made and people impacted by your photography. Were you privileged to freeze powerful memories into photos for others? Celebrate that!
The new year represents a fresh start! At this time of renewal, release what no longer serves you and focus on setting exciting (but achievable) goals for the year ahead.