It's that time of year again when everyone make new year resolutions and goals! I am certainly no exception. This year, many of my goals are art related! One of them is to intentionally take pictures of my life moments. I also want to build my photo skills in event photography! If you're interested in taking more pictures or building your photo skills this post is for you!

Intentional Photos

One of the goals that I'm most excited about this year is taking more photos of my personal life. Call it the photographer's curse but surprisingly, I often forget to record my own family moments. This is something I want to change because I really believe in the power of photography! I want to look back on pictures of my life and remember all the good times I'm currently experiencing. So how can I do that? I'm starting by bringing my camera with me when I know there's going to be moments I want to remember. On the day to day, I'm largely utilizing my phone! It's always with me so I have quick access to a camera at a moments notice. It's also usually more inconspicuous than my "real" camera which allows me to capture more authentically candid moments.

This is a great goal to try if you want to record more moments in your life! My best advice is to keep an eye out for "the moment." That's a very dramatic term for it but really what I mean is to look for times you want to remember. Is it particularly peaceful? Joyful? Even chaotic? Are you in a place you love or have never been before? What do you want to look back on in later years and smile about? Worry less about making the shot perfect and more about taking the picture!

No matter the quality, photos are a phenomenal way to remember your life!

New Photos

Another idea is to take a few pictures in a new environment every month. This could be somewhere with different lighting, different scenery, or different goings on than you've shot before. It doesn't have to be far! Just something you haven't taking pictures of before. You could even do something as simple as walking to a different part of your yard for a new angle! The underlying goal here is to practice shooting in different situations. This will build your skills and prepare you to capture your daily moments!

One tip for this resolution is to not overthink it. You don't need to go anywhere crazy or far away to build your skills. You just need to be shooting! Be intentional about finding just a couple new things each month. You can also totally customize this to fit your goals! Shoot more or less depending on your schedule and desire to learn. Any progress is better than no progress!

A second tip is to pay attention to what you can learn after each shoot. Take a few minutes to look at your photos and think of ways you could improve next time. It's important to be taking pictures but if you're not learning as you go then you won't be building your skills! As with every resolution, intentionality is key.

Sentimental Photos

Similar to taking intentional photos, you could take a picture of someone you love every day! Just like the other ones, this is extremely customizable. You could take pictures of your spouse, your kids, your roommate, or your pet! They could be candid, posed, creative, in the same spot, in the same style, in a different style, themed, or totally random! The possibilities are truly endless. The goal in this one is just to capture the ones you love. In December, you'll have photos documenting the whole year and you'll have improved your photo skills!

My big tip for this one is to go in with a plan. If you know what kind of pictures you want to take each day they'll look more cohesive at the end of the year. You'll also avoid taking a shot just for the sake of it. Intentionality is important not only to accomplish the resolution, but also to take great photos.

That said, my second tip is to not be afraid of changing your theme throughout the year! Just because you started taking the picture in one location doesn't mean you can't change to a theme or different style. Get creative! Ask your photo subject if they have any ideas. Making it a team effort doubles the fun!

Creative Photos

Finally, look for inspiration and take a variety of creative photos each month! I made this one intentionally vague because "creative" means something different to everyone. In college I knew several people who went all out with their creative photography and used all kinds of props and lights. In my experiments I learned that I like a simpler style. That's why this is a great goal for anyone trying to figure out what they like. You can try new things and see what sticks! It's also great for those who want to see what they can do with photography. You can test your own boundaries and you'll learn a ton along the way!

My first tip is to not hold back. If you have an idea, go for it! Like I said before, you just need to be shooting. You'll learn more by trying than playing it safe. In that same vein, push your ideas! Try to see how much you can do with one idea. Think of as many ideas as you can. The trick is to make sure you follow through. Having ideas is great but if it goes nowhere then you aren't getting any better!

Another tip is to collaborate with people! They can be another photographer, your model, or some friends. Some of the best ideas and works of art come from a team of people rather than one person.

Bonus: Printing Photos

One more bonus idea is to set a number of photos to print over the course of the year. This is one of my personal goals because I love having photos in physical form! I think it makes the memories that much more real. You could print a few photos every month, print just your favorite photos, or have a photo book printed! My plan is to collect photos throughout the year and print a photo book in December.

My best tip here is to make sure you get photos from a quality print service. While options like Walmart are cheaper, they aren't always the best quality. Do some research to see what you can find in your area. Often you'll be able to find camera stores that also do prints. These can be a good option because they understand the art of printing photos!

Whatever photo goals you set this year just remember to keep at it! Be intentional and don't be to hard on yourself! Consistency and practice are the most important parts. Just keep shooting and the skills will follow!