WELCOMING 2025
Happy New Year! Who is ready for their next adventure? I have been eagerly counting down the days until my next trip, which at this point is just a few short weeks away. That is not the point of this post, however. I want to discuss benchmarking yourself as a photographer, and setting goals to put your best foot forward in the New Year.
I did something a little different for this post; I wrote it out here on my blog, but I also released a podcast episode covering this topic in a little more detail. Check it out on The Lakescape Photography Podcast, available on all major podcast platforms! The images discussed on the episode are included at the end of this post!
MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE WALL
Ok, it is not that serious. Maybe it is, you decide. This process is all about reflection and introspection. This promotes growth, gives us direction, and helps us set goals for the year ahead. It is important to not be overly critical of yourself. Your aim is not to make yourself feel bad or convince yourself that you are a bad photographer. The goal is to map out where you are technically and process wise, and use what you find as motivation for improvement.
We want to look at our work, goals, accomplishments, and learning opportunities, then use them as a guide to propel yourself to the next step. I have always looked at this process as reflection being my compass, and what is revealed, my map. One gives us direction, the other tells us where.
FROM OLD TO NEW
December is what I call my “calibration” month. I consider what I did, why, and where. I want to know what was effective, what was not, and the explanation for those outcomes. In December, I do not take many photos. Not only is it incredibly busy with family events, parties, work events, and everything else the holidays bring with them, but it is important to give yourself time to rest, reflect, and recharge.
I take this time away from otherwise being fully immersed in my craft, to look over the year and develop a plan for the following year. I consider the following categories:
Inspiration
Keepers
Duds
Processing
Gear
I consider these elements and how I applied them over the course of the year. I evaluate each one separately and as it relates to the others, helping me form my foundation for the upcoming year. As I am going through reflecting on each of these items, I am asking myself the same questions I mentioned above: what worked, what did not, and why?
INSPIRATION
I start this process off by looking at my sources of inspiration throughout the year. This helps me refine them as I move into the next year. This is the impetus behind my work. The essence of my creative process, and how it takes shape. I am looking at how it has evolved over the years, and what it might benefit from as I seek continuous improvement in my craft.
The four major points I am considering here are:
Places
Am I going to places that inspire me?
Am I connected to the places that I am going?
Did I feel disconnected from anywhere I traveled to this year?
Knowledge & Understanding
Do I understand the history of the areas I travel to?
Do I understand the geology of the areas I travel to?
What am I doing or can I do to learn more or keep learning?
Photographers & Photographs
Whose work inspired me this year?
What drew me to their work?
What did I do to translate that into my work or my process?
State of Mind
Experience first, photos second approach.
Am I taking the proper steps as an individual to maintain a positive state of mind?
What was my state of mind throughout the year, and how did it shape my process?
I explore each of this further in the podcast episode. To keep this brief, I provide insight here into what I am considering under each category. Remember, this is going to look different for everyone, but hopefully sharing my process helps you develop yours.
As I consider places, I am specifically thinking about the places I went over the year and how well they served my creative process. Did I explore new locations? Was I giving each the proper attention and time it deserved? Was I inspired by the places that I traveled to? Examination of this aspect of our creative process leads us to what truly matters. The places that speak to us. A bad trip here or there is one thing, but we want to make sure that being inspired throughout our year is the baseline.
As I consider knowledge and understanding, I am exploring my personal connection to a place or area. This goes deeper than reading a synopsis on the back of a travel brochure. Here I am considering the history, the geology, and what I did to build my understanding of that to help form my connection with a location. Knowing and understanding these aspects shapes the way we approach it, and what we seek while we are there. It has always been a critical part of my process and something that I enjoy almost as much as being present in the landscape itself.
Next, I am looking at the photographers and photographs that inspired me throughout the year. I am asking myself whose work inspired me, and why? This goes beyond liking a photo and moving on, though. I am seeking specific techniques and approaches other photographers take that I believe add value to an image. Bubbles in water being used as leading lines, or a slightly longer exposure time showing energy and movement along the shoreline. I am seeking technical aspects that I can incorporate into my work, and exploring how well I translated them into my work over the year.
Concluding this part of the process, I am considering my state of mind. Photography always has been and always will be about sharing the moments that define my experiences in nature. I am an outdoorsman first, and a photographer second. As I reflect, I am considering my mindset out in the field, and whether I am balancing my wanderlust with my creativity. I do not want to foster a “must produce work” mindset. I want to focus on the experience and the adventure, and share what is revealed to me. This is going to look different for everyone, but my main priority is maintaining a positive, curious state of mind. I am looking at what contributed to that, and what detracted from that throughout the year. I use what I find to cultivate a calm, collected mindset that allows me to explore and enjoy my experience on location.
THE KEEPERS
After I consider the foundation of what drove my creativity for the year, I am looking at the results. I want to look through my portfolio images and see how well I translated those techniques, or what I did to overcome a unique situation where I saw a shot but struggled to bring my vision to life. I want to compare myself to where I was a year ago, technically and creatively, and ask myself how my process changed to achieve my results.
I ask myself what I like about the images that I ended up choosing for my portfolio. Was it the light? The conditions? The time of day, or the time of year? I ask myself the same questions I do when looking at other people’s work, and try (emphasis on try) to look at my work as though I have never seen it before. As artists, we are always going to be our toughest critics. That is just the nature of the beast. But the key here is to look through your work, identify your best shots, and consider them beyond the surface. Break them down by the sum of their parts, and ask yourself why they work. Identifying your strengths allows you to build the technical foundation needed for the year ahead. We want to continue building and refining these areas, while improving on the areas we believe need work, which we identify in the next step.
THE DUDS
This is the part that I believe is the most important. Looking at the shots that did not make it, and asking yourself why? I cannot emphasize this enough: do not beat yourself up over a missed shot. We all miss shots. It does not matter if you are a seasoned pro or someone with your first camera. I will bet that our keeper rates are surprisingly similar. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is going out there and nailing every single shot, every single time. The thing to remember here is a missed shot does not mean you failed, and it certainly does not make you a bad photographer. Do not be critical of yourself. That is not what we want from this. A missed shot is a learning opportunity. Plain and simple.
As I look through my shots, especially the ones that sting a little, I am asking myself exactly what made them fall short of my vision. Is it a technical aspect, like composition, use of leading lines, or subject placement? Maybe it was an element in the image that was out of my control. The light was not right for the scene, or conditions just did not benefit me. I want to identify these things, and then consider what I learned, and how I can apply that learning to go forward.
POST-PROCESSING
When I look at post-processing, I am looking at the relationship between my in the field process and my editing process, and how they are working together to achieve the desired results. Post-processing begins in the field. Getting the image right in camera, and making sure that you have the right data in the right areas is critical to producing quality work. This is what I call the creation cycle. It begins with what you are doing in the field and concludes with how what you did in the field contributes to your style and finished image.
As I review my images, I am looking at how I brought my vision to life and how well I executed my process. I am specifically focusing on whether I am taking the right steps in the field to make sure I can meet my vision in the post-processing phase. I am then considering my growth from the processing piece, and exploring things I learned, or would like to learn, in the new year. Maybe you started experimenting with exposure blending and want to go deeper with it, or maybe you are just getting out of Lightroom and into Photoshop. Whatever the case might be, it is important to identify where you are now, and set goals for growth and continued development going forward.
THE GEAR
The elephant in the room… Gear. Let me start this off by summarizing it; use what works best for you. If you are getting the results you want with what you have, you are right where you need to be. Upgrading something for the sake of upgrading is a losing game. Invest in new gear when you are hitting limits with what you have. This is the only thing that I am considering here. Was my gear the limiting factor at any point during this year, and if so, why?
I recall a saying I heard early in my photography journey: “there is no such thing as bad conditions, just bad gear.” That stuck with me. It has been the driving force behind my gear choices as I traverse the wilderness and explore the areas that matter to me. Gear is evolutionary, it will change over time. As you progress, you will learn what you need and why. As I look across my year, I am asking myself, did I get the shot I wanted? If the answer is no, I am considering the gear that I was using to get the shot. Maybe I needed a stronger neutral density filter, or my tripod was not tall enough. Maybe I needed more reach from a telephoto, or I needed to go a little wider to make the scene make sense. I am strictly considering this from a point of limitations rather than from a point of justification for something new. It is a dangerous game, but someone has to do it.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
As I complete this process, I look back over my findings and develop my goals and strategy for the upcoming year. I typically write these out on a piece of paper and list trends I am noticing, or areas that I know I want to improve upon. As I go through this process and refine it piece by piece, the list condenses and eventually ends up in my backpack. I typically commit to between three and four things in each category, and reflect on them throughout the year, applying them as I go. I keep the list in my backpack so that I can review it, take it out and physically hold it on location, and keep my focus on improvement, being fully aware of where I want to improve.
MY YEAR AHEAD
Reflecting on 2024 and looking ahead to 2025, I see significant improvement in my process, approach, and image quality. Although proud of my achievements, I remain insatiable. I want to keep building and improving. I recognize I am much farther than where I was last year, but that there is still much to learn. Never get complacent and decide you know everything you need to know, that is the fastest way to stop growth in its tracks.
As I went through this process myself, I laid out the plans for my year. I even included them in this post so that you can use them as an example!
INSPIRATION
Shoot one location well - This year, I have focused on three regions.
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula - Porcupine Mountains.
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula - The Keweenaw.
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula - The Huron Range.
Complete five books relating the to regions outlined above.
Two geology books.
Two history books.
Open topic - related to the region.
Identify three techniques from other artwork that I can translate into my own.
Use of scale and form.
Use of motion as a storytelling element.
Use of conditions to set mood and tone.
Explore, capture, repeat.
Focus on the experience first.
Continue challenging myself with new hikes and areas.
Maintain discovery and return goals.
STRENGTHS (THE KEEPERS)
Continue to focus on and refine composition.
Use of light.
Use of positive and negative space.
Use of line, form, and scale.
Avoiding fair-weather photography.
Shoot under all conditions.
Embrace bad weather and conditions.
Let the light speak.
Continue exploring using light as a subject.
Continue defining what works best under varying light.
Creativity over circumstances.
FOCUS AREAS (DUDS)
Avoiding visual conflict.
Maintaining visual flow in a scene.
Make the subject the warmest or brightest aspect.
Avoid disrupting leading lines and visual flow.
Maintain a clean edge.
Avoiding distortion caused by wide-angle lenses.
Organize chaos, avoid distractions at the periphery.
Identify and remove distractions in the field before shooting.
Seeking the right conditions.
Continue working on patience and coming back to a scene when it is right.
Continue discovering and noting what works best, when, and why.
Continue developing the “Three of Four” rule (Light, Conditions, Detail, Color).
POST-PROCESSING
Continue field work with a focus on processing.
Maintain field processes that shape my editing style.
Ensure that the correct data is being captured in the field.
Engage in the cyclical workflow of building field craft and processing concurrently.
Depth, drama, emotion and impact.
Continue developing methods of showcasing the mood of a scene.
Continue experimenting with and refining color theory and principles.
Continue developing dodging and burning techniques.
Commit to four educational tutorials, seminars, or similar.
Post processing workflows or educational content from inspirational sources.
Books, ebooks, or similar.
YouTube, blogs, and other online resources.
GEAR
Photography gear.
No change.
Camping gear.
Superlight Tent - Durston X-Mid Pro 1 Dyneema - Weight savings.
Katabatic Summer Quilt, Flex 40° - Quilt for warmer months.
Hiking gear.
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles.
MSR Windburner Duo - Winter camping stove.
Norrøna - Trollveggen Gore-Tex Pro Light Jacket (Winter hardshell)
Norrøna - Falketind Gore-Tex Jacket (Shoulder season)
BASECAMP
An all new and exciting project that I am going to be working on in 2025! This was going to be released at the end of 2024, but I realized I needed to spend a bit more time with it before it was ready for release. Basecamp is a new and exciting addition to my website that I am dialing in with user feedback and testing as the year progresses. The current launch window is September, 2025.
Future blog posts, podcast episodes, and YouTube videos will contain more information as the year progresses. This is going to be BIG! Make sure you like, follow, and subscribe to keep up with the latest happenings!
INTO THE NEW YEAR, WE GO!
There you have it! That is how I benchmark myself and live into continuous growth, improvement, and change. As you continue on your journey, be patient with yourself. Love yourself. Speak to yourself with kindness, compassion, and empathy. Approach all challenges as an opportunity.
I am moving into 2025 refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited about what this year holds in store. Last year had its challenges and its setbacks, even some moments of downright despondence. Despite these moments, I saw the positive in all things and took the steps at the end of 2024 to make sure 2025 was better. Sometimes, things are just necessary for your peace. And your peace should always be your priority, my friends. I hope you can achieve the same!
Cheers, and God Bless.
Nick
IMAGES MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST EPISODE
Union Bay at sunset.
The fog enshrouded tree.
Shining Cloud Falls - The one image I liked of the images I shot that afternoon.
The missed shot of Shining Cloud Falls. I am still not sure how I missed that erratic! 🤦🏼♂️
