With 2022 approaching, individuals are beginning to look more seriously at their goals once more, continuing the somewhat infamous tradition of New Year’s Resolutions. This tradition can apply to all lifestyles and hobbies, as resolutions can be executed to a wide array of subjects. For all those who bear the title of “photographer,” 2022 can be your year to level up your skills and explore new areas of the field. Written below are a few ways to challenge yourself with your photography in the year to come.
Enter a Photography Competition
Some photographers take their passion professionally, while others treat it as a hobby for their spare time. Whichever way you choose to pursue this talent of yours, you can use this next year as your motivation to enter a competition, pitting your work against others. Although it may be intimidating to put your work out in public to be judged by professionals, it can teach you the value of public critique and inspire you to go the extra mile with your submission. The most notable photographers never improved their craft by keeping their photos in hiding but by putting themselves out there.
Try Different Equipment
With different technologies constantly evolving, it is never a bad idea to try out different equipment as a way to improve your craft. This doesn’t mean you’ll have to invest in the equipment yourself. Perhaps you’ll know a friend with a film camera or have access to photography tools on campus. Take advantage of these opportunities and try to create a new genre of photography for your portfolio. Sampling different types of equipment might even inspire you to invest in your own gadgets and pursue this style more frequently.
Break the Rules
As you took photography classes and read informative books, you most likely wrote down the tried and true photography rules, committing them to memory. However, as every creative knows, it is not always feasible for your craft to follow each rule of thumb exactly as it was taught. Grow more playful with your photography, playing with blurs and breaking the emphasized rule of thirds. Although there are certain visual aspects that will draw eyes to your photography, you may surprise yourself with some of the end results you can conjure up after enabling yourself to break some of the rules you once held so tightly. Use 2022 as your year to experiment to the fullest. You may even discover your personal style through this trialing.