It seems sensible to review the 2023 goals and see if that’s still relevand and whether or not there’s anything else.
Review of 2023 Goals – reframing for 2024
1/ Improve my composition skills
Self-rating: Progress made, but lots of scope to move improvement significantly further.
I bought the book “The Photographer’s Eye” (Freeman, M.) and have not yet opened it!
I have picked up watching and making notes on the video tutorials by Gavin Hardcastle (aka Fototripper).
A handful of images I’ve captured this season, I feel I have been more thoughtful with composing my images, and trying different things.
There remains lots of scope to move the improvement along more significantly.
2/ Improve and increase my wildlife photography
Self-rating: Lots of activity, the odd winner and looking for more wow shots.
I attended a squirrel hide workshop as well as Bempton Cliffs in our Yorkshire trip earlier in 2023 so have images of squirrels and gannets.
I bagged a hare shot in Norfolk albeit an average one – I’d like to nab a much better one.
Rutting deer was not pursued with any intent and needs planning in terms of doing it within the prime time-window.
I did get a kingfisher shot but it was an average one, not anything “Wow”.
No sign of a Bittern shot – ditto re rutting deer.
Birds in flight: I got a few this year with a wren, pheasant (which won a club competition round), robin, curlew, avocet, chaffinch, long-tailed tit, crow, ruff, shelduck, collared dove, buzzard, and a barn owl. I’d rate them all as good rather than brilliant but the activity was there.
I have a longer telephoto lens so hoping to grab some improved shots during 2024.
3/ Consider a workshop with a Pro Photographer
Self-rating: No workshops during 2023 but have two booked.
I did not do any workshops in 2023 with a Pro Photographer. However, I have one workshop booked and paid for, and another booked with a deposit put down so I have made a commitment.
4/ Street photography
Self-rating: Plenty of street photography thanks to walk-by 10 minutes in London, a holiday in Lisbon, Portugal, and a holiday in Naples, Italy.
Notable street photography captures in 2023 were my city windows shot, my lisbon tram shot and my urban jungle shot from Naples.
I’m more of a casual, as and when street photographer – it’s not my thing so I’ll only do it if the opportunity is there.
5/ Expand my gallery and online shop presence
Self-rating: I’ve updated my website gallery and set up a Redbubble page but I haven’t progressed Etsy or any other outlet.
As I’ve written about before, I’ve little time or inclination to hit “sales” really hard. I’ve made less income than I did in 2022 but I haven’t tried.
There was no club exhibition in 2023 and I don’t promote myself in selling so no grumbles.
6/ Parked goals
a) Learn Photoshop – ditched
Self-rating: I have no real intent or enthusiasm to learn Photostop and very content to stay within the Lightroom ecosystem for now. I have a residential workshop booked so it’s in plan.
b) Do a residential workshop – booked
Summary
To summarise:
- Improve my compositional eye/skill – ongoing
- Improve my wildlife photography – ongoing – build on success of pheasant/gannet shots – would like to bag a really good shot of an owl
- Workshop(s) with Pro Photographer – ongoing – I have two booked, one of which is a residential
- Street photography – ongoing – I will potentially visit another European city this year so will have opportunities for more street photography – a trip to London may also take place
- Expand my gallery and online shop presence – I will continue to add photos to my website/gallery but I am not motivated to pursue Etsy et al so ongoing for the former, and ditched/postponed for the latter
- Parked goals: I will ditch any notion of learning Photoshop as haven’t got the time but I have got a residential workshop booked with a Pro Photographer
Any new goals?
I’d like to more consistently achieve higher scores in club competitions.
I’d love to bag another magazine feature, but zero effort at one end isn’t going to increase the likelihood of success.
And that’s it – there’s plenty there to aim for and improve on.
Onwards and upwards…