For what may be the first time in my life, I’ve completed a New Year’s resolution. As 2022 was coming to a close, my daughter challenged me to take at least one new photo every day and post the best one on Instagram. As of today, I have completed my 365th post!
It has been a challenge. Not every day has been a huge success, and not every photo has been one that I would have published otherwise. I’ve also cheated some days, posting photos taken earlier in the year, due to a variety of reasons, such as travel, bad weather, and even a broken thumb. However, I’ve also taken many of the best photos of my life in the process!
Right place, right time
The challenge forced me to get out every day that I was able, and this put me in the right place at the right time very frequently. For example, afternoon walks in the woods resulted in many great gray owl sightings.
I spent a lot of time in Yellowstone, looking for wildlife to photograph. Some days were a bust, but other days I got very lucky with photo opportunities, such as this elk spotted near Mammoth.
I quickly learned, through some lost opportunities, to carry my camera gear everywhere. This meant that even some very ordinary activities resulted in some great photos. One afternoon, when we were out to dinner and had just paid our bills, many other patrons were looking out the windows and pointing. It turned out there was a beautiful double rainbow outside, and I had the needed gear to capture it!
Planning shots
Of course, other photos required some careful planning rather than simple happenstance. I spent many mornings and evenings out, and captured some amazing shots as a result. A recent example was this moose, spotted in a frosty field at dawn with Woodward Mountain in the background. I planned out this early-morning expedition, knowing it would take about an hour to get there and that moose frequented the area.
I also had to plan out the right conditions under which to view Grand Prismatic in Yellowstone, and hike to the overlook in order to get this colorful photo.
On a trip to the Grand Tetons, I had to make sure to be out early and reach Jackson Lake before the low-lying fog dissipated in order to get a very dramatic shot of the Tetons reflecting in the lake.
New skills
This year also prompted me to learn some new skills. As an example, I had dabbled in night photos before, with limited success. With the help of a professional photographer, I honed my technique, resulting in this amazing photo of the Milky Way reflected in Grand Prismatic.
I’ve also been experimenting with focus stacking, learning from my dad who takes lots of focus-stacked shots of flowers. My greatest inspiration for focus stacking has been with the hoarfrost this winter, which has resulted in some very large ice crystals due to the unusual conditions this year.
In the last week of the year, I’ve begun experimenting with star trails, but I’m still working on getting a really good photo. It seems easier than photographing the Milky Way, which requires much more specific conditions, but I’m still learning the art of correct exposures, timing, and foreground focus and lighting.
What’s to come in 2024?
I’m still considering a photo-related resolution for 2024. I will not repeat the same resolution as last year, in large part because I ended up often having to post things that were not the best examples of my work.
I’m certainly going to continue working on improving skills and learning new ones. And I’ll probably focus more next year on writing some how-to guides here, so I can pass on things I’ve learned.
I wish everyone a wonderful close to 2023, and I hope that the new year treats you well!
