Why use a Yearly Theme? How to Choose a Yearly Theme?

I am inspired by Fernando Gros “How to choose a Yearly Theme”, this is my 5th year writing and announcing a Yearly Theme, an approach that I personally feel that it’s more forward looking for a new future, a new era of working, thinking and how we connect as an individual, as a collective, society and the world. It’s not that goal settings or setting resolutions are no longer popular or useful, they still have a purpose and it still works for some people or industries.

Recap of previous Yearly Themes

Before I announce my Yearly Theme 2023 for my photography, travel, creative and heritage, let me bring you back in time, looking at my previous Yearly Themes through a recap below:

• Yearly Theme 2020: Striving to Excel 
• Yearly Theme 2021: Recovery and Rejuvenation 
• Yearly Theme 2022: Onward 
• Yearly Theme 2023: Explore

Yearly Theme 2024 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage) – “Ignite”

Now, announcing my Yearly Theme 2024 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage) – “Ignite”.

From my earlier editions of Yearly Theme for my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog, I have expanded my scope of business and interests from my usual areas of photography and travel, in the areas of creativity/arts and the heritage sectors. 

Why Ignite?

Via Google Bard – “Ignite: A great story can ignite the imagination and inspire the listener to see the world in new ways. This word captures the spark of creativity that storytelling can bring.”

I want to be a better storyteller in the Year 2024 for both my two key areas of business and  key interest areas. For this year, I decided to try something different, I asked Google Bard to recommend a word to summarise “be a better storyteller”, and the chat based AI tool from Google gave me a few to choose from.

Ignite new directions and plans for my photography business and content creation business 

The photography business has been very challenging, the industry is facing its own headwinds, shrinking budgets and pie to share. That’s no doubt that some competitors are doing better than others. Moreover, the media/social media landscape is constantly changing, with current and near future trends moving towards videos consumption on TikTok and Instagram Reels. Which genres of the photography field should I concentrate on? A review and restructuring of photography services is underway, yet remaining fluid and adaptable as the months move on. 

With such changing media consumption patterns/trends, and how social media is changing, the versatility of a content creator would be more crucial and the way to go moving forward in the next few years at least. The days of being a specialist in your field may not be sufficient anymore, not just in the photography industry. In the creative sector, beside video consumption, the next area is content creation. 

Partnering with videographers and filmmakers would be key, working together on assignments and projects. As for working with agencies, whether it is PR, digital or social media, I am working to grow this segment. Even with networking and knowing people, it doesn’t guarantee anything. 

Time to re-ignite my travel photography, writing and content creation

My last overseas travel holidays when I took a flight out from Singapore was in 2018 when I visited Thailand and Vietnam. In 2019, it was a drive up to Malaysia. The years 2020 to 2022 were the global pandemic period whereby international travel and tourism industries were brought to a standstill. Year 2023 was my target year to travel overseas again, the pent-up travel demands, frustrations and high costs of travel pushed back my plans.

It’s been quite a few years since my last travel overseas. It’s finally the time to re-ignite my travel photography, writing and content creation in Year 2024. Keeping my fingers crossed that travel assignments or familiarisation tours opportunities would come true since I had been knocking on some doors over the past few years.   

Ignite my creativity from interactions with artists from other disciplines 

Year 2023 gave me new dimensions, directions and opening to view through the different world, point of view, and artistic creativity of various artists and creatives from other disciplines. They were more than just an eye-opener for me, they were inspiring and encouraging. 

Through those interactions in Year 2023, they have ignited my creativity and imagination that opened me up to new artistic approaches and cross-disciplinary creative ideas and projects that I might be able to work together with other creative artists. In 2024, I hope to bring some of those inspirations, ideas and projects to life, whether on an individual basis or cross-disciplinary with other artists.

Ignite new plans and ideas to do more for the heritage sector

The heritage sector, putting history, heritage, culture, conservation and preservation segments together, they may not give you the revenue compared to the commercial world. However, the intangible cultural heritage and intrinsic fulfilment cannot be underestimated. 

This sector already has a community running and operating in their own respective realms, that would need more like-minded people of various skills, knowledge and expertise in their respective domains to enter. 

I have always been interested in the heritage sector through my visual storytelling and documentation. I would be on the lookout for opportunities to partner with organisations and/or artists, whereby I can contribute and earn a bit of revenue as well. 

Yearly Theme 2023 (Technology | Business | Personal) – “Transcend”

As for my other key area of focus, my TGH Technology and Business portal/blog, I have chosen my Yearly Theme 2024 (Technology | Business | Personal) to be “Transcend”. I would like to invite you to hop over to my other website and have a read!

Join me in my “Ignite” journeys in 2024

To my networks in the photography, travel, creative and heritage sectors, I would like to invite you to join me in my “Ignite” journeys in 2024, let’s work closer together for more in-depth, meaningful and powerful stories, on both visual storytelling and social media. 

Thank you for your support and encouragement! 

To my family, relatives, friends, followers and supporters who supported me through my visual storytelling, photography, technology writing, social media marketing, especially those that make the effort to read, not assuming thinking you know everything about me, or my business model operations, and making the effort to know more and understand, without judgement or putting me down, I sincerely thank you for your support and encouragement! 

The post Yearly Theme 2024 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage) appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

   Photography by Isaac Ong

Inspired by Fernando Gros “How to choose a Yearly Theme”, this is my 4th year writing and announcing a Yearly Theme, an approach that I personally feel that it’s more forward looking for a new future, a new era of working, thinking and how we connect as an individual, as a collective, society and the world. It’s not that goal settings or setting resolutions are no longer popular or useful, they still have a purpose and it still works for some people or industries

Recap of previous Yearly Themes

Before I announce my Yearly Theme 2023 for my photography and travel, let me bring you back  into my previous Yearly Themes through a recap below:

• Year 2020: Striving to Excel
• Year 2021: Recovery and Rejuvenation 
• Year 2022: Onward

Yearly Theme 2023 (Photography and Travel) – “Explore”

Now let me introduce and announce my Yearly Theme 2023 for photography and travel – “Explore”.

Why “Explore”? 

The word “Explore” has always been part of my life, from my Scouting days in school, to my traveler explorer days, in both my professional/business and personal life. My photography themes/projects have always been on exploration, in both nature, wildlife, history, heritage and cultural areas. 

Photography 

In year 2023, I am going to explore new collaborations in both professional and personal capacities. 

On the photography business sector, there would be changes and approaches to my portfolio of services or specialisation.

On my personal photography segment, there are a lot more plans, ideas, collaborations and new collaborations that I more than want to explore, the personal side of photography keeps my passion and fire burning in a commercial photography, content creation world.

If there is something deep inside me that I want to do, they would be along the lines of 

• Back to basics, back to analogue 
• Honing my craft and eye for creativity 
• Collaborating with like-minded creatives for new projects  

Some sectors that I would like to explore further are photography training/educator and consultancy. I made some progress and headways in the two sectors, I am going to continue building up from there. 

Travel

I made a decision not to travel out during 2022 when borders reopened along with the lifting of risk management measures, even though my travel wanderlust was strong. In 2023, I am planning to re-explore my travel photography and travel writing again, after a 3 years hiatus due to the global pandemic situation.

I hope to explore new travel destinations (ASEAN, Japan, Europe) that I haven’t previously visited. Of course, I would still love to revisit some of my favourite travel destinations. I am also planning to explore the area on Sustainability further and wider in travel, tourism, hospitality industries, around the region before venturing further out.

Writing and Publishing Books and Zines

One of my new philosophy in photography, writing and creativity is “Bringing my projects to life”, into prints, zines or books. In a heavy social media usage and consumption world where everything is digital, maybe a return to analogue or old school, can spark us a revival in how we work and live.

Therefore, I am going to explore new personal visual storytelling projects, beyond my current ones. I want to explore further, wider and deeper as a content creator and visual storyteller.

Should I go for a photo book or a new travel visual storytelling project or new zine collection project? Or all of the above? Exploring new publishing projects for year 2023, I would share more in details when the time is ripe.

Complementing my photography training and consultancy, I am going to explore publishing photography guides for the modern creative and social media world.

New set of Uncertainties and Dark Clouds in 2023

In a period of uncertainties and crisis (hopefully it doesn’t reach that stage), there might be new opportunities. Time to explore other opportunities as a new set of dark clouds (challenges and uncertainties) looms over 2023. We are facing inflation, higher costs of living, economic slowdown (or even possibly world recession) and geo-political worldwide crisis in a worst worst case scenario. 

In a period of uncertainties and political crisis in some regions (hopefully it doesn’t escalate beyond that stage into bigger crisis), there might be new opportunities. Time to explore other opportunities as a new set of dark clouds (challenges and uncertainties) looms over 2023.

Yearly Theme 2023 (Technology | Business | Personal)

In this year 2023, I decide to try something different again, I chose two themes, one for my TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog, one for my TGH Technology and Business Portal/Blog. What did I choose for my Yearly Theme 2023 (Technology | Business | Personal)?

Explore with me in my visual storytelling journeys in 2023

I would like to invite you and join me, come explore with me in my visual storytelling journeys in 2023. 

Together we can and we might explore something new, heart warming and touching visual stories.

The post Yearly Theme 2023 (Photography and Travel) appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.