What's Your Photo Resolution for 2011?

One Photo A Day For An Entire Year Even If It Kills Me

The start of a new year brings opportunities, for most, this means starting something new or taking things in a different direction.  If you’re a photographer this might mean starting a new project, working with a camera or lens you’ve never worked with before or experimenting with different techniques. For me, it’s simply the act of taking photos again.

I’ve enjoyed photography for as long as I can remember but it has only become an ongoing hobby of mine since around December 2009. On Christmas morning, my mother unveiled her one, very expensive but amazingly thoughtful gift to me: The Canon Rebel XSI Digital SLR with an 18-55mm lens. This came as a wonderful surprise to me, not because of what I got but because she actually got me what I asked for!  

Since that time, I’ve been exploring the world through my photographic eye – snapping scenic shots at parks and beaches, documenting exciting events like music festivals and shows I’ve attended, capturing celebratory memories like my cousins big Ukrainian-Italian wedding last year and even shooting simple, casual encounters with my friends and family members.  In addition to my free time, I took a photography course at my university my last semester before getting my B.A., which helped amp up my interest in the art and gave me a new perspective on my photos as well by my professor and my peers offering their opinions and insights into my work.  

However, since I graduated in May of 2010 and I’ve actually had to try and assimilate myself into the "real" world, my efforts at photography have reached an all-time low. While my camera has been sadly collecting dust in my room so has my creative mind... but starting this year, both of them are ready to see daylight again! That's why my new year’s resolution is to take at least ONE PHOTO each day for the entire year.

O.K. So I am a little late in the year…but better late than never...and spring calls for revival. Plus, I also just quit smoking cigarettes *applause* about 6 days ago. Look at it as replacing one bad habit with one good habit. Balance is nice.

Anyway, I am super excited about my 2011 New Year resolution. The photo a day idea will get me to start using my camera again and it will hopefully, to prevent boredom and generally mundane photos, inspire me to experiment with different techniques and to test out new products. 

An extra bonus for me is the fact that I work at a digital photography/electronic store. I pretty much have all the latest photography equipment and accessories available to me – not always available for me to use – but it is there at least.  Plus, only working here for a few months has already taught me a lot more about photography in general… and besides, if there is anything I need to know, the people I work with have lots of knowledge on the products we sell and they are usually always happy to help. 

So, What's your photo resolution for 2011? 

Even if you aren't a photographer but just someone looking to make a positive resolution for 2011, I would love to hear about it. Share it as a comment on my blog or you can email me it at Allie@HandBDigital.com. Either way, sharing your resolutions can inspire others to take on resolutions of their own. But more importantly, I find it easier to stick to my resolutions when I write them out and when I believe others might be watching them as well! So please, feel free to share your 2011 photo resolutions on here! ...and remember: keep shooting people!!!

P.S. Check back tomorrow for the first photo of my 2011 resolution that I will be taking today as soon as i stop writing this blog entry and get the hell out of work! 

- Allie