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 

Photography (Business)

Running a small business is really very tough and challenging, let alone running a small size photography business in an ever-changing media/social media landscape that is already going towards video consumption over photography, coupled by smaller budgets, a shrinking pie to share in the market, filled with a pretty saturated pool on the supply side of things.

Fellow competitors in the same industry (whether photography or other industries) would not easily give up their share of their pie for you, it’s a cruel and harsh capitalist world out there. My photography business is still impacted and affected, there were many a times when it was so stressful and pressuring to run a small business.

The future of the creative industry, whether you are a photographer, videographer, artist etc etc, modern technology in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to make you stand up and pay close attention to them. AI can help us creatives, it can also possibly replace part of our creative work. Do check out and read my interview article, “Q&A on the impacts of AI on photography and creative industries”.   

Having contacts and networks with agencies doesn’t give you guarantees in business, sometimes there were opportunities, sometimes there weren’t. Disappointments are part and parcel of my business operations. 

Building up more contacts and networks have always been on my business plan and agenda. As I am reviewing my Year 2023, moving from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, I am also strategising new directions and plans, that I would share a bit more without going into too much details in my Yearly Theme 2024. 

Photography (Personal) 

On my personal/leisure photography sector, I had been active in the creative, arts, history, heritage, culture, conservation and preservation sectors, enjoying the visual storytelling and writing time that gives a deep fulfilment and accomplishment. Down the road, I hope that they would also help to bring in another source of business revenue as well. 

My personal visual storytelling/photography projects were still mainly digital and social media, written, published and uploaded for the world to see, read and view. I didn’t plan any of my personal projects to bring it to life as a physical tangible showcase, in the form of a zine, book, prints or exhibition.

Travel 

International travel 

For this segment, it’s disappointing for me, I haven’t begun to explore travel again as I didn’t travel out of Singapore. The high cost of travelling and pent-up frustrations around the world have not subsided yet. Therefore, I am practicing patience even though my travel wanderlust went up a few notches higher. 

Travel Content Creation 

There were some travel content creation opportunities that didn’t materialise, coupled with zero international travel trips in Year 2023, it can come across as double disappointments. Nevertheless, I am biding my time, preparing and actively networking with travellers around the world during regular co-hosting of #TTOT Travel Talk on Twitter community chats.  

Creative (Arts and Writing)

In the creative fields of arts and writing, Year 2023 was a very interesting year of creative exploration and writing that brought me into a new dimension, style and artistic direction. Thanks to local creative artist Wei of House of VSE/Very Small Exhibition/Bring Love Everywhere with his local artists and international artists collaborations that opened up my creative world to view and approach arts and creativity in different ways to immerse, interact and connect with the audience. Check out my visual story, “Tension by House of VSE”.

Another local creative artist that I followed and supported in Year 2023 (and still doing so) was Yip Yew Chong. His “I Paint my Singapore” – Familiar scenes of home was very heartwarming, nostalgic, connecting and bringing me back in time. Yew Chong’s visual storytelling via his paintings serves as an inspiration to me, in my own heritage, history and culture visual storytelling and documentation. 

Experiencing a major cross cultural performance between Korea traditional music and Nanyin music – “The Origins Cipher: A traditional Nanyin and Korean cross-cultural musical journey” in October 2023 also opened up my eyes to the international world of traditional arts and music coming together with the elements of history, heritage, culture, conservation and preservation, combining together to show that it can be done, in such a beautiful and soothing manner. 

Heritage (History, Heritage, Culture, Conservation and Preservation)

I have always been covering the areas of history, heritage, culture, conservation and preservation through the various museums networks, festivals and events. Through my heritage networks, I managed to discover more about traditional culture, craft and performing arts that may not have get the bigger slice of publicity and support. Personally, I feel that I can contribute more, help out and work together with organisations or like-minded people, whereby I can bring my skill sets and experiences in visual storytelling, photography, social media and digital marketing to those organisations in the history, heritage, culture, conservation and preservation sectors. 

Media Relations

In the field of media relations with brands and agencies, the status quo is usually pretty good for those agencies and brands that I work closely with, some brands and agencies have been engaging for a period of time. As for the agencies that I recently engaged and worked with in the past 1-2 years, they would take a bit more time to build up the working relationship.

Personal

On a personal note and observations from a personal basis and perspective, there were a few recurring frustrating things that had been bugging me over the years. They seemed to have escalated in recent times. Here are a brief summary of them without going too deep into details and explanations:

• People don’t read
• People don’t want to understand you, they want you to understand them instead
• Passing judgement is getting more common, uncalled for at times 
• People assume things 
• Sometimes you are more on social on social media than me and you say I am very busy on social media 
• Human communications are getting worse
• Communications and friendships are strained by social media, egos and narcissism  
• Human memory is like becoming more like goldfish and they blame it on brain fog arising from the global pandemic period
• FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is getting stronger and worse

Yearly Theme 2023 – Explore 

My Yearly Theme 2023 (Photography and Travel) was “Explore”, looking back at year 2023 in review and reflection, I did manage to explore bigger and wider, especially into the arts sector, following and supporting local artists in other creative genres, inspired and motivated by what they had embarked on, what they achieved, giving me new creative project ideas, motivations and directions for Year 2024.

I had also explored new partnerships with videographers, photographers as well even if we might be competing together in the same field. Finding partnerships would be even more crucial given the shrinking dollars and pie in the economy shared among an already saturated field. 

As for my international travel segment, I haven’t begun to explore travel again as I didn’t travel out of Singapore. It’s definitely disappointing for me no doubt. The lessons and desires would serve me well to plan my travels in Year 2024, and not just pent-up travel wanderlust frustrations since 2019 before the global pandemic period of 2020 to 2022.

Reflecting Year 2023 (Technology | Business | Personal) 

My year 2023 in reflection and review for my technology, business and personal are written and published separately on my TGH Technology and Business website. Since the two websites are operating in distinct fields, there are quite a fair bit of review and reflections written inside them too.

Final Note and Round Up

Year 2023 was not my best year, but I learned a lot. My review and reflection of Year 2023 articles that I wrote on both my websites, TGH Photography and Travel and TGH Technology and Business, may not have everything written down that took place in Year 2023, yet what I wrote down were quite a handful and lengthy to read for my readers.

To all who make the time and effort to read till the end of both articles, thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart, I truly appreciate it! 

Looking Ahead in 2024 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage)

Looking ahead in 2024 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage), I would be sharing more information and details in my Yearly Theme 2024 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage), this approach is unique and can be very different as compared to the goals and objectives approach that I learnt previously. 

Wishing all a Happy New Year 2024! Thank you for your support and encouragement! 

The post Reflecting Year 2023 (Photography | Travel | Creative | Heritage) appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Photography – Business and Content Creation 

Photography business

It has been a very tough and challenging journey running a photography business, just like running any other business. In an already intense and stressful competitive market facing a slowdown in world economy, we are facing an avalanche of new technological developments and innovations in generative AI, that is going to disrupt the photography and creatives market even further.

While some of my photography friends might not agree or would dispute my views, a stand-alone photography business might not be the way to go for running a photography business. The amount and intensity of change, adapt and adopt is going to exponentially increase.

Change of Old Guard 

Although I do take care of my photography cameras, lenses and gears, as much as possible, there will be wear and tear, along with technological improvements and changes over the years especially in the digital imaging world. All the above also coincide with new changes in my visual storytelling and content creation. 

Hello Canon EOS R6 Mark II, Goodbye Canon EOS 1D X Mark II! I have sentimental attachments to the EOS 1D series, this Canon camera model has always been an icon and part of my photography branding. Another story on this for another day.

Photography – Personal and Content Creation

The personal side of my photography gives me an avenue away from many things, not just away from the photography business side of things, a therapeutic time away from the stress and pressures.

Walking to my nearby neighbourhood areas, taking sunsets, cityscapes, nature and wildlife, with my camera and lenses, it was my personal time away from the hustles of running a small business.

Travel and Travel Related Content Creation

International Travel

There’s nothing to share here as I haven’t travelled out of Singapore since 2019. While I am not in a hurry to travel (Yes, I do have some pent-up frustrations in travel). Therefore, I think the time is now for me to get away from Singapore in Q3 2023, likely a regional trip first and hopefully a medium to long haul trip in Q4 2023. As for my travel destinations, I would keep under wraps for now.

Travel Related Content Creation

While I have been producing and creating visual storytelling articles regularly, there aren’t enough for my travel related content creation segments. Although I haven’t travelled overseas for a few years, that is not an excuse. 

An area for me to look more closely into, how and what kind of local travel stories that I would want to share about to friends and travellers visiting Singapore. This should be my “homework” before I return to travel visual storytelling and content creation when I relaunch my travel photography adventures overseas.

My photo walks haven’t officially take off as planned, time to re-ignite and start working on them again.

Plans for Q3 2023 & H2 2023

In Q1 2023, if you recall, my Yearly Theme (Photography and Travel) for 2023 is “Explore”. I feel that this year’s theme fits in nicely, I am exploring new avenues and directions in an increasingly difficult and challenging world economy and geo-political situations. 

Photography business

I never and I usually will not go into business specifics here, just like the Chinese saying, “The business field is just like a battle field”. My thoughts and views in a nutshell, we better evolve, change and adapt faster. We can’t just depend on one skill/expertise alone anymore. 

New personal project – Featuring and interviewing creatives, artists, photographers, heritage 

Earlier in this year 2023, I had an inspiration to feature and interview creatives, artists, photographers, history, heritage, preservation and culture community. Through this personal project, I hope to be able to help them with more publicity through my visual stories and writing, that’s also possibly a cross mixed media production with the artist’s artworks with my photography, as well as future business opportunities for me.

Travel related content creation, collaboration and partnerships

On top of creating more travel related content creation that I mentioned earlier, collaboration and partnerships have proved to be pretty difficult and tricky to breakthrough into. From competitors who guard their turf, time needed to establish stronger ties and limited opportunities, I have and I will continue to strive for a breakthrough. 

Last but not least

More than just my photography and travel segments, please do visit and check out my Reflecting H1 2023 & Q2 2023 (Technology, Business and Personal) on my TGH Technology and Business portal/blog.  

Although I will not be able to write down and share everything that happened or took place during Q2 2023 and H1 2023, compiling and writing them down serves as a form of diary, collection of memories and moments. Neither would I be able to share all my plans for Q3 2023 and H2 2023, just some key highlights.

Some stuff/matters are also more private and confidential that I do not want or wish to be shared on social media. 

The content, reflections, thoughts, and views might be lengthy and boring to others, even to my friends. Some are probably busy posting on social media platforms flooded with media and videos, we need to know what is happening to them, they don’t want to know what is happening to others.

Writing down my reflections, thoughts, views and upcoming plans are more than a good way of regular writing, constantly honing and improving my writing skills, this is also therapeutic in its own ways.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for making it to this line, reading my lengthy writing and ranting (sometimes). 

* Photos shot with Canon EOS R6 Mark II *

** A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R6 Mark II Explorer Series Production **

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With a turnaround of 4 weeks from Christmas 2022 to New Year (NY) 2023 (1 week later), followed by Chinese New Year (CNY) 2023 (3 weeks later) and my getting older day slotting in between them. It usually gets forgotten. What makes this year 2023 different?

Birthday is a low key and low profile event

As I aged over the decades, birthday for me has become a low key and low profile event. No major celebrations, nothing glamorous or extravagant. I can’t compare to my friends celebrations at fanciful restaurants. 

I am a Capricorn, that also explains I guard my privacy a lot, even though I am active on social media. 

I bought my own 3-in-1 gift and I got gifts too!

If you recalled reading my Christmas 2022 and Birthday 2023 wish list, I rewarded myself with a used Wotancraft Trooper Medium camera messenger bag, why do I call it a 3-in-1 gift? Basically this is a Christmas 2022 + Birthday 2023 + Chinese New Year 2023 gift for myself.

I am also blessed with some small and thoughtful gifts from my friends too, I really appreciate it!

Of gatherings and treats

With my birthday falling in between a busy period of NY 2023 and CNY 2023 whereby people are busy shopping for CNY goods, spring cleaning and getting back to work mode. My birthday gathering is like a mini CNY gathering as well. There was even a gathering that had Christmas 2022 + my birthday 2023 + CNY 2023 feel to it with this group. I am thankful and grateful for the meal treats, I decided not to take photos of the food, as the friendship and presence far outweighs taking photos of the food and sharing on social media. 

There has been a regular birthday cake gift from Gloo PR, an agency that I worked closely with for the past few years, truly grateful for the friendship and working relationship. I was able to share my birthday cake with my family, relatives, cousins and nieces at an early CNY reunion gathering. 

Feeling humbled, touch, and very grateful for the gifts and treats blessings for my birthday January 2023.

Thinking about a few things

At the start of the year, there were some news reported that got me thinking deeply about a few things. Along with my Yearly Themes, that I set for my Yearly Theme 2023 (Photography and Travel) – Explore and Yearly Theme 2023 (Technology | Business | Personal) – Transform, I would like to add something. 

Here are some words and thoughts to remind myself for Year 2023

• Be kind, grateful, contented, humble and down to earth 
• Life is too short to be fighting the wrong battles
• Stay low key and low profile whenever possible
• Peace and Tranquility (less dramas, avoid dramas)
• JOMO over FOMO
• Sustainability 

Another year older in 2023, another year wiser (hopefully). Once again, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for all your well-wishes, treats, gifts and blessings.

The post Birthday January 2023 Thoughts 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.

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