The road ahead, Tanzania, January 2009So the blog and I are a year older, time for the second annual Reflection on Things Done. Last year, I was glad to be part of a community of photographers and was progressing nicely along.
I feel a lot has happened the past 12 months that has really moved things forward for me, photographically (and in some senses the rest of my life, but none of that here).
3 big things happened: SoFoBoMo 2008, my trip to the Himalaya and my recent safari in Tanzania.
The first of these has really got me thinking more in groups, series and projects. I'm not looking to produce some good images, but a wider sense of how I see the world around me. I'm seeing a wider range of subjects as photographs and ordering them in my own mind as I go. There are links all around me.
The second, my trip to the Himalaya brought a level of integration of photography and my other pursuits. I've been making photography more a part of my life. It seemed to come together in the hills of India - I was a photographer, seeing pictures all around me and recording them. It was more than just recording my vacation. That is something of a first for me, I feel.
And the third has really shown me how much my ability to see beyond just the subject in front of me and look for an individual perspective, together with a greater ability to produce good images. The best of my rejects is now far better than many of my selections were 12 months ago. I'm now getting some good response from photographers as well as friends and family - whilst I don't consciously court compliments, it's nice to get them. Certainly a year ago I don't think I'd have got a good return on such a wildlife trip. Now I can look forward to specific ways I'd like to use such a trip in the future.
And all the while I'm actively trying to learn: from others and from my own work. Getting to understand my view of the world.
As for the blog, I was never sure how long I could keep it up but the more I carry on, the more I see there is more in front of me. At least for now, it has value for me to continue. I hope those reading continue to feel that way, too.
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This was interesting: "It seemed to come together in the hills of India - I was a photographer, seeing pictures all around me and recording them."
ReplyDeleteI'm always having trouble in taking photographs in strange places, they became just snapshots, and I feel stressed. At home (or in otherwise familiar places) I feel relaxed when taking photographs, no such feeling of stress.