Photographically speaking, what are your goals for the year?
My main aim at the start of this year was to get back into thinking photography everyday (this place certainly helps this), but also to try and take pictures a lot more this year, last year my pictures taking was down over 60% on the previous year.
So my main Goals:
Think Photography more
Take more pictures
Improve my nature photography.
Now what's yours?
Take less pictures, but improve my skills and my writing.
I guess mine are the same as last year , improve more . But not just in my shooting , also in my post prosessing . I learn all the time , and all i think about is shooting ( i get pretty board at work LOL ) .
...... Shawn
Mine's simple: make a living.
If that's making a living with Photography Matthew your a much braver man than me
I;ve thought about it, but haven't the courage to even start and try.
Maybe I should take on a few more paying assignments. I tend to turn them down as I feel more comfortable shooting for free. I guess if I don't charge I feel they have lower expectations of the results.
Well, I'm not sure 'brave' is the word, but it's time for a change in my life. I think I've found something that I'm good at, now it's time to convince some other people of that.
This might be something to split off into the business section, but for obvious reasons I think photographers should work the way people help friends paint houses or move homes. You might do it for free for a really good friend, but there's always the obligation for them to return the favour, and there had still better be beer and pizza at the end of the job. If you didn't bring something of value to the task, you wouldn't be asked to do it.
If nothing else, look at what it costs you to do the work. Visit the website of a reputable camera store that rents gear in your area, find kit similar to what you're using, and add up how much it would cost just to rent the equipment that you're providing. Add in a modest amount for transportation, computer time, and the delivery media. That should be the beginning of what you charge -- and if you feel badly, or that the price isn't justified, remember that they're still getting the photographer for free.
You have a good attitude, M. I tried to do it professionally for a while, and things were starting to roll - and strangely enough where I least expected it. I always assumed that my commercial efforts would be where the success would lie - but not so. People bought my artistic stuff - the stuff that I did for myself and that I was proud of - and not the commercial stuff.
In the end, I found it wasn't very satisfying doing stuff that I thought that other people would like - and what I liked was what they liked. None of it paid any money that I could live on, but the times that I sold stuff that I thought was good was a huge rush.
I am fortunate to work in a business that pays good money and affords me the freedom to be creative on the side - so I am back to doing it as a *hobby*. But if there is a lesson to be learned from me - it is do your stuff the way you think it is good and don't try to second guess the public's tastes. Your eye is better than their's...
Good luck
T
I want to focus more on the subjects, takings photographs, than focussing on gear. I love gear and always gear gear gear. I want to put myself in the photographs without having to be in the photograph.
Having said that, I still do wish to acquire more gear
Get my web site up and running - continue to challenge myself and push the boundaries in my wedding work.
This year I will gain enough confidence to make a living as a work from home mum
I hope
My only photography goal: improve improve IMPROVE!!!
I'm late on this one, but anyway.
my goals:
Apply for a course in photography at a university in Germany (I'm hoping to go back next year).
Start selling my stuff. It's piling up on my hard drive and I am convinced there are some pictures of value, but I have no self marketing talent what so ever...
As everybody I crave more gear, and I *need* a new computer, but after all I tend to find it true that it isn't the gear taking the picture but the person behind the camera. In other words, your gear should not limit you too much in what you are aiming to achieve, but we shouldn't fall pray to aggressive marketing strategies either.
I think I am slowly moving towards less but better shots again after shooting away crazily for a year or so. I still need to work on my concepts, pre-envisioning what I am aiming for instead of shooting first and then checking what I got. Must get better at wider angles.
Uli
Even later here...
....really dunno whether to concentrate on the music more: if I don't, I face a choice between going full frame and going up through the primes again....OR even getting my Pentax 67 gear out and investing in a decent neg scanner....
...actually, to those still reading this thread, what are your thoughts on this? I've got my medium-format stuff on my wall at home blown up to 3 or 4 feet, way ahead of digital full-frame and 35mm primes....yet are there neg scanners good enough(and affordable enough) to allow me to do this? I do really miss the soaring wide angle of a Takumar 45mm on a 6x7cm neg and it really still upsets me that I have this beautiful kit unused whilst I widdle about with me Canon digi-350 RebelXT thingy....
why don't you use it then?
I am sure there would be occasions on which you would find your medium format gear appropriate and not too cumbersome to use, and since it gives you so much satisfaction, who's to say you cannot use it anymore just because you also own a Rebel ?
Uli