It's A New Year!
Do one thing you have never done before in photography.
Print a photo.
Enter a photography contest.
Put a picture up for critique.
Go on a photo walk.
Take a photography class.
This was taken on a photowalk in Atlanta in 2011. I think I was already trending toward abstract street photography.
I have done all of those things, but what I want to do is lead a Photo Walk in Nashville. I have not quite figured out how to do this on any level, but if any of you come to Nashville I will take you out. And the price is right, just your time and perhaps patience.
Choose a new-to-you type of street photography, shooting technique or even a new photography genre.
Study up on it and shoot pictures in that genre. For myself, I am going to concentrate on street photography that does not identify the person. There is particular opportunity in abstract or geometric street photography.
I hope this is just my start to street photography that does not identify a person.
Give a child in your life a camera.
It counts if you just let them borrow your iPhone to take pictures. Do everything you can to make photography fun for them.
I wrote this blog, then followed my own advice. I gave three year old Lucy a camera for Christmas. It has been a tremendous success.
Photo by Lucy. Used with Mom’s permission. This is the picture she took.
Photo by Lucy. Used with Mom’s permission. Post processing by Grandma. I think she took a lovely picture in difficult lighting.
Network with other photographers.
Mentor a photographer.
Find a photographer to mentor you.
Go to camera club meetings.
Find a friend to critique your pictures.
I tend to be a lone wolf photographer. I am going to try to change that this year. Want to join me on a Photo Walk?
Study the history of photography.
I like to read about the iconic street photographers. Here are three to start with: Vivian Maier, Saul Leiter and Daidō Moriyama. I particularly like Eric Kim’s blogs on street photographers. If you just Google the name of the photographer and add Eric Kim you will be directed to the blog, if there is one. For more names, including the best street photographers in 2019, Google Famous Street Photographers.
Start a new long term project.
Each month, photograph a vision of a concept. Examples are love, silence, waiting and being tired.
For January I am going to try to capture enthusiasm. February, of course, will be love.
Warming up for an enthusiastic January.
Organize to collect your top twelve photographs in 2020.
I will write a blog about this topic in January.
Exercise
If you want to know why a “Top 12” project is best started at the beginning of the year, try to pick your best 12 photos from 2019!