Where will this year take you?
Photography is a journey. Where is yours headed this year? Have you given it some thought? Do you feel like you got lost somewhere along the way or maybe your car is stalled out on a rural highway with no help in sight? Don’t think of your journey as just a means to get from home to your final destination. We challenge you to think of it as a road trip with something to appreciate at every stop and definitely lots of great things to see along the way. No matter where you’re beginning this year, you can go somewhere new by its end.
The SPS Staff recently took some time to look back on our own photography journeys as well as peek at where we are today for a lesson in our Members program. We wanted to share these images with you and encourage you to take a look at how far you’ve come and to give some thought to where you’d like to go this year. Maybe some of our goals will inspire you.
Kyle
Early work
one of the first pics I took after I bought my first camera – A Canon point and shoot. Sweet direct flash just capturing the action, but I’m sure I thought it was awesome because I actually printed it out!
Recent fave
Kyle’s goals for this year:
- Photography goal: post a journal entry once per week with pictures I’ve taken through the week. 52 weeks in a row! I’ll accept nothing less!! Note, this is a personal project and won’t be posted anywhere public.
- Videography goal: Learn how to create cinematic shorts (2-3 minutes) of family life. Then, teach it.
Sarah G
Early work
of filling the frame and finding open shade. Totally missed focus (with my
Canon 10d – their very first DSLR) and wow what great light – it’s even, I guess,
but definitely nothing to write home about!
Recent fave
Sarah G’s goals for this year:
- Pick up my camera more often. I’ve committed to a 365 project to help keep me accountable.
- Embrace that not every picture needs to be perfect or edited to death to be a success. I’ve ordered an art lens that will help me embrace softness. I hope being able to embrace imperfection will carry over into all of my work.
- Learn to be a better phone photographer since that camera is always with me. It will never replace my ‘real camera’, but you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Erica
Early work
I was down on their level, I saw some bokeh in the tree lights, and I even edited the white balance a bit on my computer!
Recent fave
Erica’s goals for this year:
- The last two years I have only edited photos when I needed them and it pains me to see so many images untouched. I want to take time to sit down and edit ALL my photos, the favorites, the artistic, the everyday. In order to do that, I hope to set aside one day a week to edit these images. Call it my “me time” for the week and soak in the images I have captured that week (or even in previous years!). To celebrate the editing done through the year, I hope to make a 2021 yearbook! Our family loves our printed books and it’s been about 2 years since I have done one, so bring it on 2021!
Sarah B.
Early work
Recent fave
Sarah B’s goals for this year:
- Two years ago I attempted to do a Project 365, and I ended up quitting in June. I felt like shooting and editing every day was too much pressure for me, and it took the joy out of my personal photography. Maybe I’ll try again one of these years! Last year was much more manageable as I tried to keep up with the SPS Project 52. Shooting throughout the week at my leisure and editing one favorite image per week kept me inspired. My goal is to do another Project 52 this year.
- Another photography goal of mine is to use layering more often in my work. I tend to use the same compositional techniques while I’m shooting, and this is one technique that I’d like to strengthen.
- My videography goal for 2021 is to create at least six films for our family.
Annette
Early work
Recent fave
Annette’s goals for 2020:
- Shoot personal work at least 1x/week
- Continue improving my editing skills. Learn Photoshop a whole more for those extra special images that need a little extra pizzazz.
- Videography goal: learn more on creating family short films
Here are just a couple last thoughts about goal setting:
- Goals don’t have to be scary or huge. Set small, realistic goals.
- Keep yourself accountable. Add shooting to a list in your planner or on your phone.
- Look for progress. You may not see it from today’s photos to next week’s, but if you look back in a few months, and you’ve committed to doing the work, you’ll surely see improvement.
- Rest in small achievements! The early work photos above did not become the recent faves in a day, a month, or even a year. Photography is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Don’t compare yourself to anyone but the photographer you were yesterday. Your progress, your style, and your goals are your own and comparing to others won’t do anything but rock your confidence.
We hope you’re inspired to set some goals for your own photography in 2021. Now go out and get it!
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