Photography goals are useless. You can’t force creativity. It’s only possible to create great work when your muse inspires you!
At least that’s what I used to think. The truth is, action leads to inspiration, not the other way around.
- The Ultimate List of Photography Goals
- How To Set SMART Goals
- Overcoming Resistance
- Beyond Goals: Loving the Plateau
- Photography Goals: Summary
If you’re waiting for the perfect conditions, exotic surroundings, or fascinating faces, you’re missing out on the greatest gift photography has to offer: the practice itself.
The Ultimate List of Photography Goals
If you’re feeling uninspired, setting photography goals can reinvigorate your passion, spark your learning, build your confidence, and hone your voice. Here’s a big list of photography goals for you to choose from in 2020.
- Make a photobook.
Bring your work beyond the screen. Books (as well as magazines) are a great way to share your work with friends or potential clients. A popular bookmaking platform is Blurb.
- Print your work.
There’s nothing like seeing your photographs in print. Creating a tangible piece of your work is not only rewarding, it’s a fantastic learning tool.
- Start a photography business or side hustle.
Do you dream of starting a full time photography business or just earn some extra money on the side? Take the first step. You can sell stock, photograph weddings or corporate events, and much more. I once worked as a behind-the-scenes or ‘stills’ photographer on the set of an IKEA commercial.
- Take a 5-minute photo-walkabout.
Grab your camera or phone. Walk out your back door or office. Set your timer for 5 minutes. It’s the best photo project ever.
- Make a vision board.
Create a visual representation of your goals. What photographic skills would you like to learn? Where locations or subject matter would you like to photograph? For instance, if you’d like to photograph the aurora borealis, put up a picture of the Northern Lights on your wall. Better yet, cut out a photo of yourself with camera in hand and paste it into the picture.
- Self Portrait Project
Pick a number. Then develop a personal photo project around it. For inspiration, check out Alla Ponomareva’s (credit photo) 33 Selfies Before My 33rd Birthday.
- Make a praise file.
Collect all the positive comments you’ve gotten about your work. Read them when you feel like your stuff is crap.
- Make business cards.
Business cards aren’t just a way to pass on your contact information. They’re great for showcasing your portfolio or sharing a memento of your work. Moo business cards are fantastic. Get 25% off your first order with my referral link.
- Photograph a day in your life.
Document your day from start to finish. Limit yourself to 5-10 photos for a challenge.
- Create and Epic! File
Make a file on your phone or computer called Epic. Whenever you see pictures you really like store them in the file. Once you’ve gathered a bunch of photos, go back and see if there are any similarities between them. The file is a great source of creative inspiration and can help you clarify what to shoot next.
- Make a calendar.
Pick 12 of your best photos. Make a calendar with them.
- Photograph the same location year-round.
You don’t have to go far from home to shoot something great. My friend Albert Dros (credit photo) gives some tips on how to photograph the same location over and over.
- Start a photo blog.
Create a free website with WordPress.
- 365 Project
Take a photo every day for a year. The idea of this project is so huge that most never attempt it. I suggest lowering the bar to a photo a day for just 1 – 3 weeks. It can be quite an eye-opening experience.
- 52 Week Project
Complete a photo challenge each week for one year. The Dogwood 52 Week Challenge puts out a great list each year.
- Publish your work.
I love seeing my work in print. This is a story about Busan I wrote and photographed for Sawasdee, the Thai Airlines inflight magazine. Start by reading How to Pitch Your Photo Story and Get Results.
- Join a photo contest.
The best thing about photo contests is they give you a goal to aim for. They can really push you to produce your finest work. Beware of contests which claim the exclusive rights to your photos.
- Upgrade your gear.
Gear matters. Sure, your eye is the most important thing. Having the right equipment though absolutely does make difference in some cases.
- Share your work.
Try sharing a photo a day for 10 days. Get into the habit of sharing not just your work but how you create it. Share your process.
- Make a Bucket Shot List.
Do you dream of photographing futuristic cityscapes in Dubai, karst mountain formations in China, or the Taj Mahal? I did too. List out your wildest photo fantasies and make the come true.
- Save for a trip.
Now that you have your bucket shot list, choose a destination, figure out how much money you’ll need, and plan how to save for it.
- Subscribe to email newsletters.
Stay up-to-date with your favorite photographers, artists, and thinkers. Click here to subscribe to my newsletter.
- Find a mentor.
Look for a photographer who you admire and trust. Ask them to mentor you.
- Get and/or learn Adobe Lightroom / Photoshop.
The Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan includes the Lightroom CC photo service so you can easily edit, organize, store, and share your photos from anywhere, and Photoshop CC so you can transform your images into anything you can imagine.
- Lead a photowalk.
Pick a time, place, and a short walking route. I always meet amazing people whenever I lead walks like this one in Singapore.
- Join a photowalk.
If leading a walk sounds too daunting, then just join one. It’s a great way to meet likeminded people. To find walks, search local photography groups or check Facebook or MeetUp.com.
- Exhibit your work.
There’s nothing like seeing your work hanging from a wall and interacting with people in the real world about your art. This is from an exhibit I held at a cafe in Busan, Korea.
- Give your prints away as gifts.
Print your work. Give it away to friends and family. It’s one of the best gifts ever.
- Learn How to Photograph Light Trails.
Long exposure photography is extremely fun, especially at night. Here are my tips to take better light trail photos.
- Join a workshop.
Invest in yourself, your skills, and your passion. Always be learning. I really enjoyed Maggie Steber’s portraiture masterclass at the Obscura Photo Festival in Penang, Malaysia.
- Join a photo community.
Whether you join a group on Facebook, your local photo club, or our photo collective for outdoor photographers, becoming part of a supportive community not only fast track your growth, it makes things more fun.
- Lead a workshop.
As the saying goes, you really learn something when you teach it. Share your knowledge with others. Here’s a video of my workshop in Kuala Lumpur.
- Listen to photography podcasts.
These are great on the go. I like The Landscape Photography Podcast with Nick Page. And here’s an interview I did with my friend Jason Teale for The Sajin: Korean Photography podcast.
- Start a photography podcast.
All you need is a microphone.
- Visit a museum.
Are you in a rut? Fill your creative well by visiting a museum. I was really inspired after my visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
- Get creative with presets.
Play around with presets to give your photos a new look. Here are my 19 Free Lightroom Presets.
- Read photo books or magazines.
Don’t have any? Head to the library.
- Watch a photo documentary or movie.
Some of my favorites are Salt of The Earth, almost anything about Bresson, Bang Bang Club, Finding Vivian Maier, Bill Cunningham New York, City of God, and Samsara (pictured below) to name a few.
- Watch a “creative” documentary.
Other types of movies can lead to photographic insights and inspiration too. A few examples are: Banksy’s expose on underground art Exit Through the Gift Shop, Tommy Caldwall’s quest to climb The Dawn Wall, or any episode of Chef’s Table, about the world’s most visionary cooks.
- Volunteer your photographic services.
Give your time to those in need. The Help Portrait is a great place to start. I used to photograph orphans with Santa in South Korea.
- Support another photographer.
Make someone else’s creative vision a reality. I helped photographer Benjamin Von Wong (credit picture below) turn a lifetime’s worth of abandoned clothing into works of art. The purpose of Clothing The Loop was to raise awareness about the negative effects of “fast fashion” and promote environmental sustainability.
- Make postcards.
Choose a few of your photos and make postcards out of them. Visit your local printer or check online for pricing.
- Collaborate with another photographer.
Join forces with a friend to create something awesome or just meet up and shoot together.
- Go to a photo festival or expo.
Check online for one near you.
- Learn how to take long exposures.
- Teach a friend photography.
Teaching is also one of the best ways to really learn something.
- Systemize your workflow.
Document your creative process from start to finish. Then refine it if possible.
- Learn to shoot in Manual.
Master the exposure triangle. Master your camera.
- Embrace shooting in Auto.
Forget about settings. Focus on shooting what catches your eye.
- Study another photographer.
They say success leaves clues. Here are 27 Inspiring Photography Tips From Steve McCurry.
- Try 360 VR photography.
You don’t need a 360 camera. Check out Google’s free Photo Sphere app with 360-degree panorama feature.
- Buy a drone.
Photograph the world from a new perspective and have fun at the same time. Jason Teale (credit photo) shares his thoughts on the pros and cons of the DJI Mavic Air drone.
- Back up your photos.
Don’t wait until your hard drive crashes to back up your photos. It’s too late then.
- Learn how to make a timelapse.
Or use simple apps like Instagram’s Hyperlapse.
- Document an adventure of yours in photos.
- Learn how to work with off camera flash.
- Organize your workspace.
Is your desk or gear box/closet out of control? Fix that.
- Read books about creativity.
Photography books are great. But it also helps to break out o the genre. Here my 6 best books about creativity for photographers.
- Take better smartphone photos.
Practice new photo techniques with your phone. Edit them with free apps like Snapseed or Lightroom mobile.
- Get creative with refraction photography.
Check out these 4 Great Crystal Ball Photography Ideas by Simon Bond (credit photo).
- Use apps to improve your photography.
These six apps are guaranteed to improve your landscape photography.
- Create a dedicated photo workspace.
Are you working from cafes or your bedroom? Get a studio. Rent a desk or room in a coworking space. Build your photographic (wo)man cave.
- Launch a Kickstarter Project
My friend Dylan Goldby (credit photo) wanted to document the last tatoo-faced women in Myanar and get funding to support them. To do so, he raised $17,000 on Kickstarter.
- Make or update your portfolio.
Narrow down your photos to your top 10 or 50 of all time. Better yet, break down your best work by category.
- Learn how to shoot film.
- Make a video with your photos.
Present your images in a different format. You can use the free Splice app is great for making videos on your smartphone.
- Study marketing.
If you have photography products or services you want to sell, you’ll need to know how to get the word out. To start, read Viral Photographer Benjamin Von Wong Reveals Marketing Secrets.
- Copy another photographer.
Pick a photographic style or scene like. See if you can recreate it.
- Use creative affirmations.
Be kind to yourself and your work. Train your mind like a zen monk. Here’s a list of affirmations for photographers.
- Journal.
Take 5 minutes at the start of each day and drain your thoughts out on paper.
- Learn about SEO if you have a blog.
Make Google search love your website. Study SEO for photographers.
- Write about your photos.
Some say photos should speak for themselves. Words matter greatly though. See if you add to your photo by writing a few sentences about it. Don’t state the obvious. Enhance it.
- Write a year-in-review post.
It’s a great activity to see where you’ve been and plan where you want to go. This is my year-in-pictures 2018.
- Read obituaries of photographers.
Auston Kleon writes in his book Show Your Work: “Thinking about death every morning makes me want to live.” Give it a try. Art Shay, Whose Camera Captured the Famous and the Everyday, Dies at 96
- Disconnect from the grid.
Take an information diet. Try to go one day a week (or a few hours) without checking social media, emails, or turning on your computer.
- Invest in good photography gear.
For me, having a solid tripod is essential. Here are some things to think about when looking to buy the best travel tripod for you.
- Commit to developing your creativity.
Keep taking photos. Here’s how to stay creative in good times and bad.
How to Set SMART Goals
The harsh reality of goals is that most end in failure. A study by the University of Scranton found that 92 percent of people who set New Year’s goals never achieve them.
How’s that for overwhelming? Don’t quit before you start though. Having a solid framework to set and evaluate your goals can increase your success rate drastically.
Find a system that works for you and hold yourself accountable. For more goal setting tips, read Inc. magazine’s 7 Things Goal Achievers Do Differently.
Overcoming Resistance
Once you decide on your photographic goals, you’ll undoubtedly be challenged to complete them. Just listen to all the obstacles Arnie had to overcome…
It’s easier to achieve your goals if you can recognize what’s holding you back. In his book The War of Art, Steven Pressfield encourages artists to win their inner creative battles. He calls these blocks resistance.
We experience [resistance] as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.
STEVEN PRESSFIELD
The magic of photography lives in disciplined dedication to the process of the craft.
Beyond Goals: Loving The Plateau
Photography is fun when you start out. You shoot anything that moves – or doesn’t. Your skills improve.
Eventually you compare your work to others. The same pics you were once proud of now look like crap to you. Your growth slows down. Boredom sets in. You question why you spent so much money on that stupid lens in the first place.
Sound familiar? You’ve hit the inevitable plateau. In the beginning they’re short and last longer as you gain more experience.
Goals and contingencies, as I’ve said, are important. But they exist in the future and the past, beyond the pale of the sensory realm. Practice, the path of mastery, exists only in the present. You can see it, hear it, smell it, feel it. To love the plateau is to love the eternal now, to enjoy the inevitable spurts of progress and the fruits of accomplishment, then serenely to accept the new plateau that waits just beyond them. To love the plateau is to love what is most essential and enduring in your life.
GEORGE LEONARD, author of Mastery
Photography Goals: Summary
In the end, photo goals are not useless. They’re an essential part of becoming the photographer you want to be. There’s more to it though than just picking a target to improve your photography.
Keep in mind these key points when setting your photography goals:
- Action leads to inspiration.
- Don’t wait for the conditions to be perfect.
- Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound)
- Learn to recognize goal resistance.
- Love the plateau, the practice of photography, not only the achievement of goals.
I hope you achieve every photography goal you set for yourself this year. And most importantly, remember to enjoy the process!
*Do you have any photography goals? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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