Welcoming the New Year
Artist Cheat Code
The start of a new year is often looked upon as a time of reflection and goal setting but, it is also a time of change. It’s during this time of reflection that we look at our accomplishments to see where we thrived and our failures to learn where we stumbled. From this introspective point we lay out our plans for the new year and more forward. The unfortunate part is that we are often far to harsh on ourselves and then set goals to far away. This results in early frustrations and the eventual giving up that puts us right back where we started. it’s a cycle we have all been in and may be currently in.
What’s the secret to success then?
I don’t know.
What I do know is that when we do want to make a change or progress into a new area, we must be gentle with ourselves. When looking back we do so with perfect vision. We can see clearly where we slipped and where we missed opportunities. Where maybe we said something poorly in frustration or where we failed to speak up. We can look at these points as failures or, we can look at them as learning points. It’s an old joke that there’s no instruction manual to life. This is only partially true. While no one is ever handed a walk-through guide for life, we are writing our own manuals as we live. These moments where we made decisions that may not have gone as smoothly as we hoped or challenged our ethics will repeat through life in varying forms. All we can do is take accountability of our actions, take note of what we did that didn’t work for us and, when the moment repeats, read our own instruction manuals to try something just a little bit better.
In this newsletter I have chosen to embrace where I have come from. I’m looking back on the attempts I have made and the content I have put out. Some things I’m proud of while others I can see where I was learning. But, all of it is mine and, to my eyes at least, shows my growth as I’ve delved deeper and deeper into this world. This is the path of an artist: try, learn, grow, evolved, try again.
Imperfect
This image is far from perfect. In fact, I mostly dismissed after taking it. I was practicing my depth of field selection and playing with just textures when I took this image last Autumn so thought little of the composition as I worked through my exploration. It wasn’t until much later on, when I was reviewing that month’s work, that I even looked at this as a piece of art. Now, the more I look at it and the more I think about it, the more I’ve come to love this image. I don’t have a title for it and I don’t know if I’ll ever put it up for sale but, this image evokes a sense of nature in its simplicity. I hope you enjoy.
What the Heck is the Exposure Triangle?
As someone who has spent much of their life encouraging art and creative endevours, I like to share basic understandings about what I know. This isn’t about giving rules or prescribing a style but, about sharing the foundations upon which we artists stand. During the pandemic I sought out ways to be creative with the limited access I had. From this I made a series of videos trying to convey core ideas of photography in a way that hopefully resonated with people. There are a lot of instructional videos available on YouTube, I’ve learned my fair share from many videos, and I’m not saying anything new or in any better way than what other have done. What I have tried to do is demonstrate with simplified visuals these concepts in a hope to dispel the “mystery” of exposure. And, for those that learn better through reading, I have written some out.
This is an ongoing project trying to find ways to put more art in the world. If you have questions or suggestion, please let me know!
— Enjoy
Local Happenings
It’s during this time of year that I plan my fares and markets. More to come soon!
Reflections - 2024
Looking back on 12 of my favourite images from 2024 I can see the development and growth in my photography. What I find most encouraging is seeing myself embrace additional styles and subjects, reaffirming that I still have more to explore and new ways in which I can see the world.
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Thank you for reading!
If you have found this newsletter helpful, feel free to share this with others. I try to put out two a month, the first of the month being news and updates for my work, and the middle of the month freely sharing things you may find helpful.
Thank you!
