December is just around the corner and we’re approaching the end of our 2010 Virtual Photowalk. What are your thoughts on your photographic journey over the past year? Looking forward, what are your thoughts and plans for your photography next year?
Plans are being made for next year too – you can join in the conversation over at Elements Village at this link here.
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I set out to learn more about what I could do with my camera. I feel that I have accomplished about 2/3 of what it can do. In fact, I decided to not upgrade my camera until I was able to utilize it to the fullest. Saved a lot of money that way that I spent on a new lens.
The other thing I wanted to do was to not just snap a photo because it fulfilled a ‘theme’ for that day. I concentrated on the lessons we learned (too numerous to list). I found I had better photos with less tweaking to make them presentable.
I also took the great leap to shot only in RAW! I was able to get more on the card since I didn’t have a second file in .jpg. However, that meant I had to ‘touch’ every image that made the grade in order to show it off. I found out about being able to tweak more than one RAW image at the same time. There were a lot of shots that were very similar taken at the same time. Also, I could save them to a .psd file and not open them up in CS5 until I was ready to work with them further. Another thing I found out about was the scrip that would save a .jpg every time you saved a .psd file in CS5. So all this saved a lot of time for me.
Having said all that, I am ready to go forward in the next year in whatever format we all agree to use. I don’t want to stop!
After becoming a “Villager” last year and seeing what everyone was doing in the 365 challenge, I entered the VPW with some reservations as to how I would manage it. I did take a little break during the summer as long work hours occupied my time, but with the wonderful comments and suggestions that you all left on my posts it made it easy to go forth.
I have enjoyed reading what you have seen in everyone images, many a time overlooked by yours truely. I really enjoy the HDR work that you all have posted and plan to make that my challenge for next year, if I ever get a grip on all that PSE 8 offers. LOL
After learning soo much from everyone I look forward to the next adventure and consider you all my friends!!
You to Ron!!
I started to answer this question, then decided to scroll back through the past year and what an eye-opener! I did alot more studio shots than I remembered doing and I learned A LOT about my camera settings some of which I documented in my blog. Not just learning about the settings, but being able to intuitively adjust them on the fly – change the exposure value, adjust the focal point, change the aperture, and to be able to do a lot of it by feel, not having to look at the dials and buttons.
Once again I found that by Sept/Oct I’d fizzled a bit on the motivation to spend time visiting blogs, and posting on my own blog waned. My family was reaching a breaking point with my constantly having the camera in my hands whenever we were out (so I gave in to their wishes and left it behind on some occasions) and I became more involved in pursuing my endeavors in the Microstock arena. I recently took a seminar in Food Photography to enhance my skills in studio shooting.
This upcoming year my plans are to continue pursuing the Microstock, and to work on my blogging. I’m leaning towards keeping the blogging to more artistic endeavors, images that are less suitible for stock imagery. I will be focusing on increasing my skills in studio set ups and lighting as well.
What I’ve learned is to SEE. My project (which I’ve tried to blend in with the VPW) was to take a picture a day with my iPhone. The point was to try to get pictures with a certain immediacy. I’ve always been amused when someone admires a photo I’ve taken and immediately asks, “What kind of camera do you have?” I’ve tried to make it more about the eye than the camera. I’m not saying technology isn’t involved, as most of my shots have been “apped.” But even the incomparable Ansel Adams didn’t give us his work right out of the camera.
By mid-November, one does feel a bit strapped to find something new and fresh, especially on work days. To me, that’s where the challenge becomes valuable: it forces one to find things that are visually arresting in the routine rounds of life.
This is my second year of doing a photo-a-day. It certainly has made me walk around with more open eyes. But I confess that I’m looking forward to a bit more flexibility next year–and my family will mutiny if I do it another year! So in 2011, I’m forsaking my maverick ways and joining the rest of you fully in whatever challenge the group decides to adopt.