As the New Year draws close, most everyone starts thinking about New Year resolutions. Its a very old tradition, followed closely by breaking New Year Resolutions. This would be a great year to make some solid Photography New Year Resolutions that you won't break.
Insure Your Equipment/Update Your Equipment Insurance
This is at the top of my list every year. Cameras, lenses, and other photography equipment are expensive to replace. Equipment insurance is relatively cheap and simple to get. Beyond the financial peace of mind you'll stop doing things like protecting your camera when you fall before you protect yourself.
There are several options for insuring your camera equipment. One possibility is to join a professional photographer's organization. Some of these allow amateur members and also offer insurance through specialty insurers. You can also opt for personal property insurance. This is a separate policy taken out on your camera gear through many homeowner insurance companies.Learn About Aperture
This would be a great year to finally understand
aperture (the camera feature, not the program). Aperture plays a huge part in photography. From depth of field to light control, aperture has more to do with how your images turn out that any other setting on your camera.
Enter a Contest
Take the plunge and enter a photo contest. Find one that respects your copyright and doesn't charge a fee. Whether you win or not, be sure to compare your image to the winners and reread the entry rules/category descriptions. By doing this you'll start to see what the judges are looking for and better understand your images as well.Don't Disparage Other Photographers
Its a trap that's easy to fall into. We see an image and think "I could do better than that!" There is no such thing as a perfect image. Even an image that is technically flawless will not appeal to all people aesthetically. Photographers deal with more than enough mean-spirited comments from those outside the field/hobby. Lets be nice to each other for a change.Join a Photography Group
Whether it is
online or in-person, joining a group of other photographers is a great way to learn new things and boost your own photographic confidence.
Keep Your Camera With You
Its
Photographer's Rule #1 to always have your camera with you. You can't photograph things if you don't have your camera.
Stop Cleaning Your Lenses with Your Shirt
Admit it, we've all done it. Swiped at a dirty camera lens with the edge of our shirt tails. There are some very good reasons not to do this. Fabric softener does horrible things to lenses, not all shirts are soft enough to keep from scratching lens coatings, body oil collects on shirts (even clean ones) and transfers to the lens, and some shirt materials can cause static issues. Keep a good lens cleaning cloth with you all the time. Your lenses will last longer.Take More Photographs
Don't just snap the shutter more often. Take more photographs. Take the time to think about what you're doing when you are using your camera.
