Looking back and looking forward

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Sadly the last couple of days and weeks of this awful year didn’t get any better. As a huge Star Wars fan I was deeply saddened by the passing of Carrie Fisher. Other decisions that were made during this fateful year mean that my UK passport will soon be of a lot less use to me (don’t worry, I’ll try and keep the political stuff to a minimum).

For me personally however, things haven’t been bad. I’m especially pleased with how my photography is coming along and excited about what the future holds. I realized during one of the many Christmas dinners I attended that people still respect someone with a “proper” camera and won’t just ask anyone to take the family portrait with a smartphone. My editing has become better and more efficient, and I generally preferred every new photograph I take compared to old ones. I’ve started using a speedlight along with umbrellas and reflectors. I started a blog with my better half called Lia & Liam and had to start learning product and food photography for that. I’ve also been selling some of my photographs on microstock websites. My camera has been used more than I ever have, and I’m feeling more confident with every shot I take. That’s Enough of what has been happening this past year, I’m more excited about what is to come!

Website

I’ve steadily been increasing the work I’m doing on this website, and I’ve got no intention of slowing down. I recently started reviewing the past week’s photography news, and it’s a series I’m keen on continuing. I’ve been adding new pages here and there (such as a page dedicated to Lia & Liam and one dedicated to a competition I won). I’m exploring the possibilities of adding new pages and modifying those already online as I get more used to working with Squarespace (one step at a time).

360 Photography (aka Photospheres)

I’ve been into 360-degree photography for a while, and my obsession took me as far as to buying a Ricoh Theta S camera when I found one heavily reduced. I’m still exploring the possibilities of displaying these photos on my website. Along with that I’m now also a Google Street View Trusted Photographer – I don’t know where that achievement will take me yet and I’ve not had the time to explore the possibilities so far (any recommendations are welcome in the comments!).

Reviews

As I just mentioned, I’ve got a Ricoh Theta S which has a permanent place in my bag (thanks to its size mainly). I’ve also acquired a Yi 4K Sports Action Camera in the past year. Seeing as I enjoy writing about photography and tech, and I’ve got all these gadgets in my home, I think it would be best for me to also review them. I’ll be starting off these reviews early next year, so be prepared!

My workflow and equipment

I’ve always been a lover of checklists and well-defined workflows. This is especially true when working with Lightroom. I’m planning to share the knowledge I’ve gained over the years with you, dear reader, in a series of really long and technical articles. These will take time to write, so I’m not setting a date yet — but they will appear sometime during the next year!

Earning reports

I’ve hinted at this a lot, but have never had the chance to do anything yet. I want to create earning reports of how much I’m making in the world of photography. I will be doing this for myself anyway, and want to give anyone thinking of taking similar steps to mine a helping hand in managing expectations. These will most likely be released every quarter.

Social media

Not technically part of the website, but social media lives on the internet, so I’m sticking it here. I’ve been reading so much on how to manage social media. This was partly to help promote Lia & Liam and also because it just interests me! I’ve already signed up to Buffer, and I’m loving it so far. I really want to start expanding my reach on social media and drive potential readers to my websites.

Gear

I’m still shooting on my trusted Samsung NX1 and I still love this camera! There are no plans on upgrading the camera any time soon (why bother?) – but my office is seriously lacking in other places. I’ve always looked at my fellow students with Dell XPS laptops with envy. Such a sexy piece of engineering with the specs to go along with it. As of now, I still edit everything on my ageing and huge Thinkpad and my underpowered Surface Pro 3. Just a couple of days ago a new XPS 15 was leaked, and it looks like that will be my dream laptop. I can’t fully justify the price yet, so I’m hoping I’ll be able to pay off a significant amount through my photography-work. So far, it looks like it will take some time until I’ll be able to consider it, but I’m staying optimistic.

Another thing I’ve been thinking (or should I say dreaming) of for some time is a drone. The DJI Mavic looks great, and I’ve still got a decent amount of cash leftover from winning a competition at Galaxus. The Mavic could find its way into my house if it ever becomes available.

Videography

I’ve been creating a video here and there by myself for some time now. Being a student does allow me to subscribe to the complete Creative Cloud package for a really worthwhile monthly fee, so I’ve got full access to Premiere Pro. The videos I’ve made so far have only been for close friends and family, and I’ve got no intention of making those public – but I’d love to try out something new in this area (especially if I buy the drone I mentioned earlier)!

Lia & Liam

I’ve got high hopes for my precious project in the coming year. I’ve been observing a steady increase in traffic over the last couple of weeks (despite missing out on a lot of pre-Christmas traffic!) and I’m really hoping to drive the project onwards. As I’ve already mentioned, I did have to acquire a lot of new skills to make it happen, and I’m still learning (can anyone explain Pinterest to me?) and exploring the world of food and lifestyle blogs.

Wrapping up

I’m really excited about what is to come in the next year. I’ve got so much I want to do and tell the world about it. One thing is for sure: You can expect a lot of new content on this website and Lia & Liam in the coming months!

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