This is going to be long.
This year has been a big year in many ways. This year was also a year of growth and breaking comfort zones. I did things that have changed me and also changed my creativity.
Getting Lost As some might know this year I got lost a few times on my adventures/hikes. Before I tell you the stories. Getting lost helped me grow and break comfort zones, because no one likes to be lost, but also getting lost could be an adventure but not in these stories. So one of the few times getting lost was at Beebe Hill. I have been there once before with an old friend. At the parking lot there is a road thats blocked off for working vehicles to go on or some old road. So I went up the hill like done before and went to the top of the fire tower. I was then walking down and see what looked like the top of the blocked road. " oh a short cut". So I took the trail and after a while I thought I should be there by now. I checked my phone and had no service but the GPS worked and saw I was on the other side of the park. I see on the GPS there are some back roads and thought i guess i will just walk on the roads till i get back there. So I end up on the back roads in the middle of know where. I see a truck pass me and go into a drive way but i keep walking and pass a house with dogs barking and someone working in there yard and they could not hear me. so i walked like i am going back up the hill. I though maybe i should ask the person who lives in the house the truck went into. the truck leaves and goes past me. I stop the truck and see a name on the truck I knew and ask the driver where I was and If i could get a ride and he did. The funny/scary thing he said to me on the way to the parking lot of the park was that there are bears in those woods. The next big time i got lost was going home from a mentors house. She lives an hour or so away from me.I have been to her house before and came home no problem but this one time I went south instead of north on the turnpike and ended up 70+ miles away from home at this boating camp area. I asked the girl in the booth where Columbia County was and she had no idea. So i pulled over and put it in my gps and texted my dad and the phone and gps were not working right. So i knew I had to go the other way not south. So i went on the right side of the turnpike to go home. it took a while because of all the cars. on the way home it started raining and my gas gage was flat and made it home safe. The other times I got lost were small, driving passed a park and turning around and getting lost in a park and finding my way out. I learned to stay on marked trails and to make sure my gear is set before i drive away.
New Photography This year I did some new firsts regarding photography. I did my first food shoot and more hiking and also personal projects and more. With the food shoots, One of the clients was for a new book and the other was a restaurant. They were fun to do because I shot something new and usually got to eat after. I also used my light stand for my flash, learned to use it to help make the food look better then natural light in a dark setting. Also who does not like to eat good looking food. Also having the platform (the journal/blog) made me go out on hikes to local parks and see things and experience things sitting in side would not have done. Finding out the cool secrets of places I heard of or have not seen. Also with the blog, I have been posting more then the previous years and always coming up with new stuff each week one or two things. I did a few personal projects this year with the paper and still life as you can fine on my personal section. Coming up with Photographs and using my creativity. I did shoot a lot more portraits in the studio this year then I have to show people I have a studio. Speaking of portraits I did my first non Chatham senior and my first instagram client which was pretty cool that they found me that way then facebook or word of mouth. I have been using my sony more then my canon a lot specially when it comes to out and about shooting. I still use it for studio and some jobs. I used the canon for the famous lightning shot but I used the sony to get the new famous chatham shot.
More Things I did this year As I talked about above is that I been posting a lot more blog/journal posts and coming up with new this to post once or more a week. Even coming up with series of posts like my famous photographer or why. If you want to know what else I did look at all the blog post of this year I posted a lot. Also with my first non Chatham senior I did my first IPS (in person sales) where after the session The mother came over to pick up her free print and bought other photos and I tried a accordion album and she loved it and I made my self a 1 to show people.
Next Year I want to keep growing and keep breaking comfort zones and growing and learning more about photography/ business / creative things and more. I also want to maybe start or help start more businesses and get more into that world like investing as well, keep learning about it also cryptocurrency. Make more art like I have this year besides photographs. I already have a few shows lined up for next year but hopefully can get more. Maybe even get my art into a show. Making more videos is another thing I want to do in 2018. More projects and adding to projects will be in 2018. I have 3 big things cameras I want to get this year if not all 3 maybe 2 or 1 out of the 3, they are Sony a7r3 - Dji marvic drone - 360 camera. stay tuned to the blog in 2018 for new and whats happening.
Theres a bunch more I could say about 2017 and things I want to do in 2018 but that would be a very very long post even longer then it is now. Hope every one did a great 2017 lets make 2018 even better.