2014 Resolutions

Over the last few days I've been reading a lot of 'Best Of' blog entries by fellow photographers and one thing is striking me more then ever. A lot of people had fantastic years! And most of them produced a body of work that I really enjoyed reviewing.

It's also a tradition for me to post a blog in the first week of January with my resolutions for the coming year. I believe it is a great exercise to think about your goals as much as it is to think about your photography. Goals give you targets to focus your energy towards. Maybe those goals can guide you back to your photographic path if you ever find yourself stuck in a rut.

Over the past week or so, I've been giving this a lot of thought. Here goes.

My resolutions for 2014 are:

- Start photographing in 4x5. 
My medium format gear is tucked away right now and I am not going to use it this year at all. I believe that if you want to accomplish something major, one must concentrate fully on the task at hand. When I switched over from digital to medium format, I lugged both cameras around in the beginning. Let me tell you, what a waste of time. Now, it's 4x5 and nothing else. I anticipate starting to photograph in the next few weeks. I got a few nicknacks left to buy (a loupe and dark cloth) and then I am ready to rock and roll.

- Write my first photographic article.
I got to say that I've been wanting to do this for quite some time now but I never found the strength to actually follow through. SO that is a big reason why I'm putting this on the list.

- More magazine features.
Magazine features became a very important tool for me to share my work last year. I want to continue on that trend.

- More submissions to galleries.
And maybe find another gallery or two that could potentially represent my work.

- Meet fellow togs.
Meet more photographers and befriend them. A no-brainer really.

- Print the work I feel strongest about more. 
We can stare at our work on computer screens all day long but that doesn't make it a photograph. A print is what actually defines a photograph. I need to do more printing.

- Teach and talk.
I'd like to continue the trend of teaching workshops once in a while and speak in public about photography. About what drives us to do what we do. Doing the preparations for these talks teaches me so much about my own work. It's an exercise of 'inner reflection' really. You should try it one day.

Those are the areas I want to focus upon this year.
I would love to hear what your plans are for 2014.