Now as I start to reflect and look back at my photography journey in the year 2013, it has been an exciting and interesting year for me. Photography is a lot more personal and committed, this serious hobby and passion of mine keeps me sane from this hectic crazy rat race society and photography complements my exploration, documenting, photographing and writing.
Year 2013 is a year of building and strengthening friendships, partnerships and working relationships with fellow photographer groups, organisations and photography friends. While I slowly gained better reputation and recognition among the photography peers, I am very grateful to those organisations who gave me the opportunity to collaborate and work together on camera reviews, social media influence, or the invitation to extend my personal projects in the areas of heritage, history, culture, conservation and preservation. I look forward to coming up with plans for joint projects in the future.
I had different photography group of friends from different niche/fields whereby we exchanged pointers and encouraged each another to preserve and strive for their respective photography goals and aspirations. They are fellow photography peers that will help to improve and explore something different/something new in my photography journey. Sharing is caring, useful and helpful, that is where my Facebook Page for my photography comes in handy to consolidate and share photography news, updates, rumours and happenings with my friends and readers! When I started to look through the photographs I took in 2013, which are my best photographs that I really liked? The answers can be found in my 500px and Flickr with the story telling accompanied in my photography website/blog!
While my own personal Old Playgrounds project slowed down since I started, it was through my peers that I restarted and continued where I left off. While it is close to its completion, the final goal is to produce my own personal photo book of my Old Playgrounds personal project that I hope to achieve in the year 2014. While I conclude this personal project of mine, I will start to dig deep into my heart and ask myself what will be or could be my next personal project.
There was no overseas travel for 2013, a bit of disappointment for me. Nevertheless, it was still well spent on my photography journeys back at home. Looking ahead into the year 2014, I wish to make my travel photography plans come true!
Learning and improving is absolutely crucial in photography, there is always something in photography for me to learn and enter into. As I moved into the field of strobist lighting photography for indoors and outdoors, this is an area that helps me to improve my photography further especially if I take up corporate, portrait or wedding assignments. Mentoring, sharing and teaching photography is slowly added into my photography portfolio. I was supposed to conduct basic photography lessons and be their tester for my juniors in my alumni mater, the Dragon Scout Group, taking the Scout proficiency Photographer Badge course in 2013. I will need to thoroughly plan out how and what I can do for them. Sharing with photography peers had been ongoing for quite a while, I am glad to share my knowledge and experiences with my current photography expertise and experiences. Sharing is caring!
One key aspect that I learned from personal development and growth is that in order to improve a skill to another level, I need to be able to share and teach the things/stuff/knowledge/skills that I know. From sharing, mentoring and teaching, this will help me to get more in-depth knowledge and it can also help me to improve, bringing my skills/expertise to my next level.
What are my plans for my 2014 photography journey? While I don’t have specific plans at the moment, the areas I am looking at are travel, portraits and to start a new personal project. There are also thoughts about using my photography and writing to help out charity organisations/NGOs locally or nearby regions for the cause and outreach that they are doing. What about you? What is your photography plans for 2014?
Today, as we welcome the New Year 2014, I would like to thank my fellow photography peers and friends, my supporters and readers for walking with me through my eyes, photographs and writing.