My New Year's Resolutions

I HAVE been hearing lately that most New Year's Resolutions are  broken by the second Friday following the New Year. Let's hope not, because if that is true, most of us just looked at our resolutions in the rear-view mirror. I think, though, that those remarks are mostly addressed toward the self-restraint and exercise side of things. Maybe if I restrict mine to photographic things, I will have a better chance of getting past Friday. 😎

TAKE LESS PHOTOS

HMMN. SEEMS like an odd one for a photographer. What I mean here is take less photos of the same subject (that are essentially duplicate photos). I have been dissatisfied with my "cataloging" process for my archived photographs for some time now. I have looked at a couple different DAM solutions, and tried a couple of them (including one that was supposed to make my life easier with its AI-based "find and label" capability - it didn't - it just gave me a headache). I finally decided my own best solution was comprehensive keywording (in the past, I have been haphazard about that). That process means I am basically going through my archives image-by image. Tedious, but necessary. One thing that jumps out at me is how many repetitive images I have in my archives. Where I went out to a site and made image after image (like maybe I was going to miss something)? I get that sometimes things are continuously changing and you really don't want to miss something. But mostly in my case - on review - these are essentially "in-camera-dupes." The late Jim Moore was one of the most influential mentors I have ever had. I remember him counseling me on this very thing. I took it to heart for a short time (much like those "only 'till Friday" resolutions above). In 2025, I want to make a concerted effort to make less images of a subject. Work the composition. Get the correct exposure. Maybe try something creative. But then move on to another compostion. Or another subject altogether.

BE MORE CREATIVE

I HAVE been reading and using the "stand in front of better stuff" quote a lot recently. I fully expect to continue doing that in 2025. The real question for me this year though, is what am I going to do with that "good stuff." I made some strides in 2024 (especially during the last few days of my central Europe trip) at making some more unique and creative images. While I am sure I will continue to take the "I was there" (hopefully iconic) shots, I do want to be more creative (more on that below). The though here is to spend some time in thought (when that is possible) and visualizing as scene/subject, and then tryhing to think outside the box with it. In some cases I am hoping for in camera results (like the moving train image, or unique camera position, or working with shutter speed and aperature). I also want to try unique compositions. Something that I have begun to do better, I think, is to visualize what kinds of creative things I might be able to do in post processing, and make some images accordingly.

I THINK that's enough. 😐 I would much rather make just a couple resolutions that I can keep in mind and really work on, that a laundry list that I might be successful on a couple of them. I have to keep in mind that these resolutions mostly apply to a a certain part of my photography - those ocassions when I am out for a dedicated shoot. My travel photography will mostly be bounded by what whatever groups I am traveling with are doing for an agenda. That is mostly fast-moving and though I make a lot of images, they are rarely as repetive as - say - the waterfall where I have me 30 shots from the same position. I need to try to think longer and shoot less on those kinds of shots (giving more credence to wind, proximity to things that I want in focus, and more "what would it look like if . . . " kinds of parameters). I will try to circle back to this in late 2025 and we will see how I did.