Photography is a big part of my life… and I’m sure it is for many of you as well. Now that we’re in the first week of 2012, how are your photography goals coming? Have you set any yet? My goals as they relate to my personal photography are fairly modest… But I am a firm believer in setting goals to improve myself. With that in mind, I’ve identified three of my weaknesses in my photography and set them as goals for improvement this year. They are as follows:
1. Improved Post Processing – My biggest weakness is the post-processing. I am still learning to effectively work with RAW files, but I have to practice hard to learn all the nuances of working with such a clean slate. So I’ll be reading up on some tips and techniques and I’ll practice a lot and hopefully I’ll have a more consistent photo quality during of the year.
2. Improved Composition – Looking back at my works over the past year, I feel that I have regressed slightly as far as the composition of my works. I guess I could blame the 24-70mm f2.8L lens I was using, the first zoom lens I had ever used in my life, but that would be a cop-out. The reality is that I allowed myself to become a lazy photographer with the zoom lens. First things first, I need to get myself into the habit of picking a focal length before framing the shot (rather than using the zoom to frame it). My new lens, a 35mm f1.4L & 85mm f1.2L prime (fixed focal length), should also help me to get out of the lazy photographer mode. Note for you zoom users: Zoom not only affects your framing, but it will also greatly affect perspective.
3. Learn more about lighting – I really know very little about lighting, how to use it and get the most out of it. The more images I take the more experimenting I get to do and there are plenty of uselful sites out there to help me. So if I’m serious about improving my photography then I need to get a better grasp on it.
As an unofficial goal for 2012, I intend to rework my website/blog a little. I intend to reorganize my portfolio slightly. I also intend to make sure that much of the great information I have written or shared with my readers doesn’t get lost in the depths of the site.
I hope that you’ll take a few moments and share your own goals. Feel free to reply to this post or post a link to your own blog where you outline your goals for 2012. In closing, I hope everyone makes a safe and enjoyable transition into this new year.
