New Year’s resolutions
First of all, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
I don’t know about you, but I usually make some resolutions at this time of year. The personal ones stay pretty much the same: run more, eat less, drink less wine, be nicer, etc etc. The photographic resolutions are more interesting (to me, if not to my wife!) and I always enjoy thinking about them as the old year draws to a close. I find that starting the new year with some positive photographic plans provides me with motivation and perhaps a little excitement; once I have a broad plan I’ll start to develop it in my little notebook and then, hopefully, put it into action.
So, in terms of street and documentary photography, this is what I have resolved to do (in no particular order) . . .
Shoot more black & white. I have probably enjoyed shooting black & white more than ever during 2022 (and I’m running, for the first time, a monochrome workshop in Venice in November). I’ve always believed that black & white should be shot with intent - as a creative choice rather than a lazy afterthought - and I enjoy the process of seeing the world in black & white. As Elliott Erwitt put it: “Colour is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive”. Or, in the words of Ted Grant; “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!”. I love both of these quotes.
Complete two projects. I’ve currently got nine live projects on the go and it’s perhaps too many. But I’ll press on with them and hopefully see them through. My aim this year is to bring two of them to life in the form of books - the first by late spring (you’ve probably guessed - it’s a black & white project).
Shoot more film. I’ve bought a Nikon F2 (and F3) and a Hasselblad for this purpose, together with a box of film (Portra 400, Tri-X and HP5 in case you’re interested). Every time I go out shooting with only a digital camera, I regret it. I guess it’s down to laziness: I can’t be bothered to carry heavy gear, film stocks and a light meter etc - which is a pathetic excuse and such a pity. I’ve promised myself more willpower this year!
Publish a monograph. This will be my first - it’s a book called ‘Observed’ and it’s a collection of my quirky observations of the world. It’s now at the proofing stage and I hope to have copies available for sale by the end of this month.
Shoot more documentary. I feel I need to at least start one significant documentary project this year; maybe not finish it but at least start it. I find there’s nothing quite so absorbing and creatively satisfying than planning and shooting a documentary project. I’m running two documentary project-based workshops this year (details here) if anyone fancies joining me!
Read more books. Please note: I said ‘read’ and not ‘buy’!! I have so many street photography books which deserve to be read again (and again and again) but I always tell myself I never have the time. Well, this year I have promised myself to make the time for what is surely one of the most crucial elements in the creative process of street photography.
Kick-start my YouTube channel. Having had such a busy autumn, with travel, workshops and commissions, I’ve not had much time to dedicate to my videos. However, I now have a healthy list of topics for 2023 and I hope to get the first one out to you next week. And the same applies to the podcast: it’s coming your way sometime soon (I just need to get the video cameras rolling again first)!
Shoot more portraits. Not everyone knows this, but I’m reasonably well-known for shooting commercial and editorial portraits (see my separate website for this) and it’s something I love doing. I’ve been commissioned by Ammonite Press to write a book about portrait photography (out in the autumn: ‘52 Assignments: Portraits’) and the writing process has really got me in the zone again. So I’ll probably start a portrait project this year and I’m also looking to develop a new workshop based on shooting street portraits.
That’s eight resolutions (gulp!), which I think is quite enough. But what are yours? Please share them with the community by popping them in the comments box below!
