I don’t have resolutions. I believe they’re just trendy ideas with no solid foundation. I’d rather not have a list of things I want to fail at. So I’ve got a list of things I’d like to do this year.
- Make more personal work.
- Try and start my gamer project.
- Exhibit in Look/15.
- 1 roll of film per month.
- Decide whether Baltic is a project or an essay.
- Review the year post in Dec.
- Journal daily. Even if it’s just a photo. DayOne app is brilliant.
- Disconnect and enjoy nothing more than music. Headphones on. Kick back with tunes.
- Photograph more architecture. Properly. No silly angles.
- Blog more. I used to post daily. It would be nice to do more blogging.
I read a post by Matt Gemmell on the issue of blogging with an audience. It echoed my worries about blogging. Second guessing content, focus and direction for the site. So the site will simply be my space and we’ll see where that goes.
That said, what do I want to be known for? Crap street photography? People walking around at f/1.8 with great bokeh and nothing at all happening but the processing hides that? HDR? Over processing? Uber wide angle photos on a 35 degree angle? I’ve done all of these things in the past but in 2015 what do I want to do and be known for?
In 2015 I’d like to somehow let go of all that and be ok with who I used to be. It got me here so that’s something. It’s hard though. I was once known for something. I once had masses of Flickr faves, comments, daily Explore features for a style I’m not overly fond of anymore. I once had the Internet tell me I was a good photographer. Now I believe it was wrong. How do you move on from that? How do you trust your instincts? They could lead me back to that place. It’s a worry. I know it’s a sign that I’m growing and it’s a good sign but it’s a battle at the same time. I’d one day like to accept all that. Maybe this year?
2014 ended with one of my portraits being featured by VSCO as one of the best of the year. 2015 has started with Storehouse featuring my photo essay about the selfie stick in Venice. I’m so happy and proud of that. I’m happy to be producing work that is about the content not the look. So far so good then.
One thing I have realised is that I should Instagram more than I tweet. I’m a photographer not a writer (he says in words not pictures). Instagram now has more users than Twitter. Which means I should perhaps take it a bit more seriously. I say this as my shed mates tell me that their dog has its own account. Aye carumba.
I guess in 2015 I want to be ok with being myself a bit more, whoever that is.