Photographic Resolutions for 2019

• Set clear goals about what you would like to accomplish with your photography in the next year. It will help you focus on your photographic activities and help keep you out of a “photographic rut”.
• Shoot more! But, have a purpose in your shooting. Try different techniques, a new style or genre of photography. Think about what you want to capture in the image that you are about to take.
• Plan photography time – time dedicated to taking photographs is important if you want to advance your skills.
• Find friends to shoot with. Join a photography club, a meetup or take a class – other photographers are great sources of inspiration, new techniques, and new viewpoints.
• Shoot Personal Projects. Photograph that which you love once a week if you can, but at least once a month. It will help to advance your skills as well as keep you from getting “burned out” on photography since you can be more creative and photograph for the love of photography instead of photographing for work.
• Take your camera with you more often. While using a smartphone can do “in a pinch”, nothing beats using your camera to take a spectacular photo.
• Do you need new gear or can you do what you want with the gear you have? Perhaps the dollars would be better spent by taking a class instead of buying new gear. Make the most of the gear you have – it’s not about the gear, it’s about using it to achieve the vision that you see in your mind.
• Read the camera manual to learn about all the features on your camera. Know your gear well, and you will be amazed at the photographs you can take with it.
• Seek a critique from someone established and reputable in your specific area of photography. When they critique your work, don’t get defensive – no excuses or explanations – just listen to what s/he has to say. It may not be easy to hear, but constructive criticism is useful for helping you move forward and develop in your photography. Constructive criticism should also come with a solution so that you can master that area that needs work.
• Print your photos! The printed version of your photo will allow you to really examine it – and what works and what doesn’t in the photo. Plus, there is nothing better than seeing your work in print!
• Stop hiding behind self-doubt. No one is completely self-confident when trying something new. But, if you don’t try, you will never make progress. Even if it is scary, it gets easier every time you do it.
• Maintain your gear. Always clean up your cameras and lenses and other gear, even after a long day of shooting. That way, you’ll always be ready for the next photographic outing. Make it a habit to recharge batteries as soon as you return and make sure to copy all image files from memory cards and reformat them as needed.
• Get organized. Make sure you know what gear you have and where to find it. The same goes with your photos – organize them by date and set up tag words so that you can easily locate them.
• Have a good (and manageable) backup plan. No one wants to face the possibility of losing years of work, so make sure that you have a good backup plan in place. Check your hard drives to make sure that they are functioning properly, back up your photos in a secondary location – in the cloud or onto an external drive which is kept off-site.

Happy New Year from Washington Photo Safari!