2012 = More Growth

"Wet Winter Brown"

My first post for 2012. Despite wild winds and sheets of rain, I managed to get my first "ramble" for the new year yesterday on the 1st of January. Mostly I was scouting for a quiet country road on which to ramble along more thoroughly in the spring, with a volunteer 'model' or two, (calling all volunteers looking for a free 8x10 in the greater Hamilton area?) but I managed to stop and get this shot with the rain just moving in on the scene.

I think New Years Resolutions can be too much hype and not enough reality, but there's something to be said for looking back at the last year and finding areas in your craft and your life that need to change and need to grow. Growing is what I need to focus on for 2012. After reviewing my work over the past year I noticed something. I started out the year strong, but somewhere along the way, lost focus and if I can be perfectly honest, became a lazy photographer. Let me explain.

Far too often, my images were based less on work and more on chance. Yes, happy "accidents" are nice but I think in many instances when out with the camera I kept shooting long enough to get just any shot, and not returning or waiting or preparing for "the" shot. I can now see it in my work when I look closely at the images from the past year.

I've also noticed that I'm still waiting for "ideals". The ideal weather, the ideal backdrop, the ideal story, the ideal website to finally show it all on. But sometimes that's just an easy way to not make decisions, and blame your failure to capture greater photographs on your circumstances. Instead there should have been times that I decided to learn to use what I had in a new and interesting way, or move on to something better. But in too much waiting comes remaining still, becoming static, and who needs that for another year?

Not I.

So, I'm looking forward to more growth in 2012. To making decisions that count, to exploring new things, to building a foundation my photography can really expand and then stand on when the time comes. Learning to be a better photographer. Which never stops anyways.

Onward into 2012! And thanks to all those whose support I have had for the last year. Can't do it without you. Have a fabulous week!

And thanks for the ramble.